Apparently, a French man in the early 1800s became interested in Chilean flora, fauna and geology. Claude Gay became the effective patron saint of local, Chilean plants. Thanks to Claude, anytime you travel to Chile, it is made abundantly clear in all government proclamations that you cannot bring in any plants, fruits or vegetables. A friend inadvertently crossed customs with an apple in his pocket (I believe he was traveling from Taiwan, though he lives in London) about 15 years ago and was firmly reprimanded, despite eating the same apple in the presence of immigration officers.
Read MoreI was pleased to see Ventisquero pop up a few weeks ago. It's been a while since I have seen this name. I used to buy some of the wines for the defunct Spice Market Atlanta when it first opened. The GREY Carménère was a favorite at the time, and I often lamented that the range wasn't more widely available in the US for the other restaurant lists that I was overseeing at Culinary Concepts by Jean-Georges. Over a decade later, it appears the wines are now widely available in the US. Check them out!
Read MoreToday’s Bordeaux is affordable Bordeaux. No, I’m not talking about the 2019 En Primeur campaign, where prices are being slashed despite the most recent declarations of “the vintage of the century” in the face of the challenges presented in bringing the wines to market in the face of COVID-19. Rather, I’m talking about the 90%+ of Bordeaux wines that are sold outside of the En Primeur system. In fact, many sold within the En Primeur system are highly affordable, too. The fanfare at the precipitous (price-wise) top of the quality pyramid has distracted far too many consumers for far too long. During the same time, quality was skyrocketing while prices throughout most the region remained modest.
Read MoreThe San Leonardo winery poses poses two contradictions to Trentino conventions. First, it is family-owned and family-run in a region known for its (very high quality) cooperatives. In fact, about 75% of Trentino grapes are processed by coops. Second, San Leonardo's production focuses on reds rather than whites. Though Trentino used to make more reds, the popularity of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and the region's top-notch sparkling wines have led to an increase in white and sparkling wine production. What is the same is that, like its neighbors, San Leonardo makes finessed wines of distinguished quality from vineyards perched in the Dolomites.
Read MoreThe Inama family understood early on the distinctiveness of individual vineyard expressions, even within the small Soave Classico zone. Inama bottles three wines from two Soave Crus: Carbonare, Foscarino and Vigneto du Lot, which hails from a western-facing, Foscarino plot that changes on an annual basis.
Read MoreI recall Viña Vik hitting the US wine scene about five years ago. The labels jumped into the wine fray with great fanfare. The wide range of vintages was interesting to taste, and they prove that the wines - at least these specific bottlings - can age to benefit. However, they made it harder to see the stylistic winemaking differences between the wines.
Read MoreLong a fan of Inama wines, I was pleased to taste this trio of wine, if a bit disappointed in the Vigneti di Foscarino, which seems out-of-character with its 2017 bottling. Nonetheless, all are delightfully drinkable and have potential ahead.
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