A few weeks ago Vinitaly was our destination in Verona. We previously attended a few wine events in California but nothing compares to Vinitaly. What an experience! A HUGE wine conference with thousands of vendors (4,270 exhibitors from 30 countries), it’s one of the largest in the world. Knowing where things are located will keep you from wandering aimlessly. It’s… Read more »
There are food and wine pairings so singular, it’s hard to stray from them. Like chèvre and Sancerre in France, tomato sauce and Sangiovese in Italy, or paella and Tempranillo in Spain. Once you partake, the flavors are etched in your mind. They meld with the people and place. I’ve caught myself reminiscing…remembering that meal, that wine, that town. There’s… Read more »
Spring in Bordeaux means “En Primeur”. The city is buzzing with an influx of experts, journalists, merchants, enthusiasts…it’s about wine professionals converging to taste and purchase the latest vintage. “En Primeur” = (wine) futures En Primeur refers to a system where châteaux (the plural form of château) release a limited quantity of their wine- known as the first tranche– for… Read more »
Champagne was not discovered in Champagne! Sorry to burst your bubble but it’s the truth. This month our French #Winophiles group is exploring Champagne, a beverage that elicits strong reactions and thoughts. It’s more than just an elegant drink for special occasions. Like wine, it’s something to enjoy often with a wide variety of foods. It was the year 1531… Read more »
Country by country, region by region something in the universe has a plan for our weather. That plan we cannot control – we need faith; it plays a major role in each year’s wine harvest. When it comes to growing grapes and making good wine, climatic influences are a big deal. Grape production is somewhat determined by them. Here in… Read more »
With a 2,000-year winemaking history and now exporting just a portion, there’s an alluring mystery to Corsican wines. This French island, which is close to Italy and claims to be neither, is as mysterious as it’s grapes. I didn’t know much about Corsica, let alone it’s food or wine, until the French Winophiles group chose a virtual visit to the… Read more »
December 2016. The question is whether to go to Italy for Christmas? With plenty of good reasons, there’s nothing holding us back. We decided to swap countries this holiday. Here’s a recap. Our first stop was Padova (or Padua) in north eastern Italy. Located in the Veneto wine region 30 minutes south of Venice by train, we hooked up with our… Read more »
A dessert style wine implies it’s for dessert. Who named it that anyway?!? I’m here to tell you they aren’t just for dessert, they pair brilliantly with savory and salty snacks and dishes. Many sweet wines are fascinating. I say “many” as some are mass produced sweet wines with nothing but sweetness. I’m talking about those that see botrytis (noble… Read more »
The “Sud-Ouest” of France frequently presents us with surprises. We had no idea it’s a major area for truffles, that zen master Thich Nhat Hanh built his Plum Village there, or that the Dordogne Valley contained prehistoric cave paintings and medieval everything. Our rental even had a herd of alpacas. Exploring the wine region of Cahors with friends was the… Read more »
This is my submission to the Monthly Wine Writing Challenge (#MWWC29). For more information about the challenge, scroll to the bottom. I don’t think there is enough honesty in wine. People don’t usually give their frank assessment and I like to…as much as possible. For example, I was tasting at a winery years ago and was asked how I liked… Read more »