I had chosen the Roasted Squid with Charred Scallions and a Radicchio, Endive and Lettuce Salad with Valdeon and Fried Pistachio Nuts. These may sound like white wine dishes, but the savoriness from the roasting process and the rich blue cheese made a red wine pairing possible.
Read MoreChassagne-Montrachet Pinot Noir tends to be lean as the soils are quite high in limestone, and this trait was emphasized by the vintage’s cool weather.
Read MoreHere’s a quick decoder to some of the most sought-after Super Tuscans, along with their second and, sometimes, third and even fourth wines. Percentages are approximate and subject to change depending on the vintage and the winemaker’s and owner’s whims.
Read MoreAlmost exactly five years ago, I became e-acquaintances with Nik Weis of St. Urbans-hof in Germany’s Mosel Valley. Then, just a few weeks ago, sitting on a Frankfurt-bound plane and preparing to attend a weekend of VDP auctions, I received my finalized schedule. St. Urbans-hof was listed. Thrilled, I emailed Nik immediately. It was 1.30 am in Germany, yet Nik responded within minutes. I was dismayed. He was in Canada.
Read MoreThe who, what, why, where, when and how of this mighty black grape: genetics, global devotion, taste, vineyard upkeep and winery tlc in the spotlight.
Read MoreGenuinely great wine inspires. Almost always, so do the people who craft them. The history of Weingut Künstler, now guided by the husband-and-wife team Gunter and Monika, began in 1648. This history did not, however, begin in Germany’s Rheingau. Rather, it began in the Czech Republic, where the Künstler family made wine for centuries…until the end of World War II.
Read MoreBonneau du Martray is the only domaine in Burgundy today that makes exclusively Grand Cru wine. Its vineyards sit on the very hill that produced wines loved by Charles the Great. That hill is called Corton
Read MoreOver the last year, I tracked every single glass of wine I sipped. I did not include the wines I simply tasted. I can’t even fathom that. I’m at 85 pages of sipping wines - without tasting notes. Needless to say, there have been mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime wines; good wines; acceptable wines; and wines I couldn’t bring myself to swallow a second time. Reminiscing through the list tonight, I’m not surprised at how few delightful wines - wines with energy, wines that made me joyous with their flavor and balance – I found.
Read MoreHaving bought for restaurants and a retailer and being someone who attends trade tastings regularly, I have a good feeling for wine mark-ups. Naturally, I want to pay as little mark-up as possible. I do most of my wine shopping online.
Read MoreWine labels are great fun. I say this from the lucky perspective of not having to design them or to make the excruciating choices of the “perfect” descriptors for their back labels. I also usually know how to read them, unless they’re in Cyrillic, Japanese or Chinese.
Read MoreCellars are museums in their own right, cataloging the weather vintage after vintage and housing the odd, retired grape press and hand-corker. When in wine country, even the most inveterate taster occasionally must back away from the table (or tank) and put down the palette of glass, notebook and pen to rest the palate. Yet, research says it’s not the palate that becomes fatigued so much as the brain. Hence, museums on wine certainly won’t do.
Read MoreLast week I helped my parents move from the house where I grew up. They lived there 35 years, and they discarded very few scraps of history. Amidst the tangles of two different chock-full closets, I found empties of wines enjoyed with Mom. (Dad is a tea-totaler.)
Read MoreAs the translator, Elaine Trigiani describes, with regard to a true love or a perfectly harmonious wine, “It’s nearly impossible to describe or explain, but you now it when you’re in it.” This is a great encapsulation of Salvo Foti’s thinking and writing.
Read MoreLast weekend twenty judges from Europe, Russia and the US gathered in the name of wine at the inaugural Balkans International Wine Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria. Two days of judging followed by two days of wine festival called for frequent reaching across the table - and not just to pour wine. The discoveries were enticing for palates, engrossing for wine nerds and intriguing for history and politics buffs.
Read MoreFrom where did Nascetta originally come? Nascetta is the only white vine native to Langhe. Arneis is indigenous to Roero and Cortese comes from Alessandria.
Read MoreNext Wednesday I head to the Balkans International Wine Competition. So, what great timing to be invited this week to a Wines of Macedonia tasting? I couldn’t miss it. I wouldn’t miss it. I felt this way not only because I’m landing there in a week’s time. I’m always pursuing my relentless curiosity of lesser-known - and even unknown - varieties.
Read MoreLast week I met Davis Bynum. Davis was one of the modern pioneers of Russian River Valley. (The Russians who settled there in the early 1800s planted vines before the Gold Rush of 1849.) In fact, Davis was the first to produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the area AND indicate its origins on the label.
Read MoreThis past week, a bus filled with 20 Masters of Wine traveled 2,000 kilometers around Sicily. It was a phenomenal trip; I wish we were still there. Alas, we did leave, but not before saying grazie. The old guard was literary. They were also quite competitive. You didn’t want to be giving the last thank-you of the trip – so many grazie to top!
Read MoreTo meet Sir George was a great honor. This Kiwi legend comes across as a genuinely inquisitive, down-to-earth gentleman. Sir George’s venture into wine began more as a hobby than a career. He started in 1961 by leasing an acre of land from his father. Begun as a family venture, it remains so – in spite of the fact that Villa Maria is one of New Zealand’s three largest wineries and exports to over fifty countries!
Read MoreMy dining companions promptly answered this question. Both hold Ph.Ds. and both are German Pinot Noir, or Spätburgunder, enthusiasts. Another dinner date with wine geeks….
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