Do you have a preference for European wines, California wines, or wines from another location? Do you know why you have those preferences? This week, Staci and I had the opportunity to take a 3 day class on the wines of Italy, through the Italian Trade Agency. The class, a comprehensive survey of the 20…
Category: Interesting wine regions
Pietro Nera, our partner from the Valtellina region
In 1940, the roots of an important and eventually highly regarded winery were planted, by Guido Nera. Far in the north of Italy, near the Swiss border and the Alps, vineyards were planted on steep slopes, with southern sun exposure to provide enough warmth to adequately ripen the notoriously finicky Nebbiolo grapes…known by their local…
Introducing our partner from Sardinia…Audarya
A fun fact about Sardinia, known in Italy as Sardegna, and an island to the west of the Italian peninsula: It is a “blue” zone, one of five places in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians, or people who live 100 years and beyond. I’m sure many people want to know the secret,…
Introducing our partner from Valtellina
If you’ve been following me on social media recently, you may be saying one of 3 things. Not this again. (I hope not) Yes! You’re finally going to tell us who it is and what you are doing. But really, you are right? And to those last two, I answer yes! And to the first…well,…
Sicily – a celebration of couscous and wine
If you were asked to name a country or location associated with couscous, what would you choose? Morocco, the place of its origin? The Middle East? Spain? France? Italy? All would be good choices. But there is one place I have in mind, because of the beginning of the 23rd Couscous Fest, this 18-September. It…
Valtellina: Nebbiolo grown on mountain terraces
Do you like Barolo and Barbaresco? Made from the Nebbiolo grape, these wines are known for their tannic vice-grip combined with a complex array of fruit, floral, and pepper aromas and flavors. The Piemonte region of Italy, with the Barolo and Barbaresco locations within its borders, is the much more familiar source of Nebbiolo-based wines….
A special, great value, and lesser-known (not for long) region: Marche, Italy
Medieval towns, magical mountains that whisper of fortune-telling witches, and the music and performance of opera. The birthplace of Rafael, of the Renaissance, the painter and architect. A cuisine influenced by a beautiful coastline and the farming traditions of the inland parts of the region. We are in Le Marche, a region in central Italy,…
Now available…your convenient and simple quick reference guide to the Old World
Looking for something good, interesting, and inexpensive? Use this quick reference guide to easily explore Old World wines.
Favorite wine hack – video!
This is a brief, less-than-3-minute video, that summarizes my post on my favorite wine hack. What kinds of Spanish wines have you tried, and what are your impressions?
Everything you wanted to know about the wines of Italy, Spain, and France…but were afraid to ask
Streaming live at 09:00 pm ET, Wednesday, 25 March. Sound may be muted by default…so if you don’t hear anything, please check the lower right corner to make sure sound is not muted. Also, please be patient and fast forward through the first 4 minutes or so. The looks of consternation you were seeing on…