Travel & Tasting Notes From A Couple of Wine Lovers
Some couples travel to Europe to soak up the art, food, and culture. Others look forward to meeting new people. VinoDuo looks forward to meeting new grapes. [Yes, art, food, culture, and people are part of our repertoire too] When we travel to a wine growing region, we seek out less-familiar grapes that do a… Continue reading Grapes We Met on Vacation
Part 1: Clos Mogador and Celler Cal Pla The final leg of our trip to Spain brought us to The Priorat wine region. Priorat is in Catalunya, about a two hour drive from Barcelona. Unlike that tourist-filled [overrun?] city, the Priorat DOCa flies a bit under the radar, at least in the US. But it's… Continue reading We just Visited Priorat! Prior-what?
Giuseppe Lecis Winery Our first introduction to Sardinian wines was a decade or so ago at Branch Line restaurant in Watertown, MA, where Lisa enjoyed a Sardinian rosé in a can. Yes, in a can. But she never forgot it. Dry, delicious, and full of red berry flavors. Over the years, we've learned more about… Continue reading Wine Tasting in Sardinia: A Two-Day Adventure
After spending three delightful days in Umbria, we drove two hours north to Tuscany. While the charms of Tuscany were never a secret, the region rocketed to the top of everyone's Italian bucket list following the 1996 publication of Frances Mayes' uplifting, romantic memoir, "Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy." The book remained… Continue reading A [Short] Guide to Brunello di Montalcino: Great Wines, Great Time
Last month we reported on Uva, the new self-service wine bar in Mashpee, [Cape Cod] which opened after two years of construction and permitting delays. This lively spot is a welcome addition to the less-than-stellar wine offerings in our part of the Cape, and it's giving the traditional cafe and wine bar Trevi a run… Continue reading Taking Flights at Uva Wine Bar
If you've been tasked with bringing the wine to Thanksgiving, this post is for you. Instead of picking up the old familiar names--Kendall Jackson, Meiomi, Cline--spice up your gathering with these lesser-known wines that are as good, or better, than the usual suspects. Many are from smaller producers in up-and-coming wine regions, and they're all… Continue reading Thanksgiving Wines Under $40: Beyond the Usual Suspects
Since Thursday is the new Friday for evening social events we said "Yes!" to an invitation to taste some rare and exquisite wines at the Washington Square Tavern in Brookline, MA. The restaurant owner is a wine genius, with a great shop of his own, so we knew the wines would be worth tasting, even… Continue reading Champagne Taste on a Big Champagne Budget…like $400 Big
When friends from California came calling this summer, we made them feel right at home with a casual tasting of 2020 and 2021 releases of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We paired two lesser-known producers with a couple of Napa superstars but when those four didn't completely delight, we hastily added a 2019 also drawn from… Continue reading Pine Ridge Napa Cab ’19 Smokes the Competition in Five-Wine Tasting
In the 1960s and 70’s, Lisa visited her grandmothers in Hallandale, FL, about 40 minutes north of Miami. Occasionally, the family would venture to the adjacent city of Hollywood, which was a bit dumpy and honkytonk, but had a fun beach broadwalk for strolling and gawking. Fast forward 50 years and Lisa was once again… Continue reading Wine Bar Review: Vintage on Harrison Hollywood, FL
On May 2, 2024 the 1 Across clue in the NYT crossword puzzle was: "Zin alternative." Lisa is both a puzzle nut and a Zin devotee, so the obvious three-letter answer was "Cab." But our Napa Cab-loving friends would scoff at Zinfandel being a simple swap for their beloved Cabernet Sauvignon. True, they're both red… Continue reading Exploring California Zinfandel: Brady Vineyards’ 2019 a Standout
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