Posts tagged Pinot Grigio
Make Haste to Buy the Attems Pinot Grigio Ramato 2020!

I've been following Attems Pinot Grigio (non-Ramato) for over a decade. It is always strikingly good, true to variety and place and well-distributed. For so many reasons, it is an easy-to-recommend wine in this country, where distribution is highly unpredictable. So, I was deeply interested in the chance to taste the Ramato, or copper, wine, which is made as a skin-contact rosé. It has been produced for years, but it has somehow evaded my glass. Not so this year, and thank goodness for that!

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Peter Zemmer:  Wines from the Dolomites

For almost 100 years, the Zemmer family has been making wines in southwestern Alto Adige in the small town of Cortina. This is the last town of German speakers before reaching the Trentino border, and it is uniquely positioned on the valley floor rather than perched in the hillsides. The winery's website has a brilliant, interactive aerial view where visitors can take in the natural beauty of the Dolomites while observing where the Zemmer vineyards lie.

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A Trio of Alois Lageder White Wine Releases

Aiming to work in lockstep with nature, the Lageder family pursues environmental responsibility with the same fervor that it pursues great winemaking. They farm biodynamically and work with their contract growers to try to transform partner vineyards into organically or biodynamically managed ecocenters. This means little if the wines don't deliver, but they do with every vintage.

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New Releases from Marco Felluga & Russiz Superiore

Marco Felluga 2014 Bianco Collio Molamatta: Named for its physical location, this is a true Super Friulian blend composed of 40% Pinot Bianco, 40% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla. This striking blend delivers great harmony, not speaking of a particular grape variety but nodding toward fine terroir and good craftsmanship.

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Paolo e Noemia d’Amico

Hailing from a corner of Lazio that overlaps Umbria – almost smack in the center of Italy, this family-run estate makes wines primarily from international grape varieties. Whereas most Italian wines made from “outsider” grapes tend to be rich and boisterous, these are all incredibly graceful.


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A Terrific Alsace Trio

I don’t drink a lot of Alsace wines, yet when I do, I remind myself to drink them more often. The same scenario repeated itself over the last week, as I tasted these three wines. So many wines, so little time. This time around, I’m thoroughly motivated to buy here, especially the Pinots, which offer fantastic value. 

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Castello di Spessa 2015 Releases

The results of the radical shake-up of Italian white wines over the last two decades continue to surface in the US markets, and this fall I had the chance to taste through a new range of wines available from Vias Wine. The wines of the grandly historic Castello di Spessa, which dates back to the 13th or 3rd century CE (either being plenty old!) offer an excellent representation of high quality winemaking with local varieties without wallet-emptying prices.

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Orange Wine Exploration

Briefly, for the uninitiated: “orange” wines are made from white grape varieties. Rather than discard the skins once the juice is pressed from the grapes, the skins and juice remain together during the fermentation and aging processes. This contributes the orange color to the wines, along with tannins and denser texture, the latter two characteristics more akin to red rather than white wine.

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In Search of Pinot…Usually Noir

Given my affection for Pinot Noir and Burgundy, and given the fact I’ve spent an incredible number of hours evaluating the quality of wines in order to pass the Master of Wine exam, I take quality references very seriously. However, within quality designations, there’s wiggle room. Last night provided a perfect example.

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The New Yorker Wine Cartoons

Five years ago a friend gave me a book of wine-inspired cartoons from The New Yorker. It has been years since I flipped through it. So, when it caught my eye this weekend, I picked it up. Many are worth a hearty laugh and a surprising number of them are oriented to the "cork dork" crowd. Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising for a publication that appeals to erudite readers?

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