Travel & Tasting Notes From A Couple of Wine Lovers
*Not to be confused with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. First, let's clarify the geography and nomenclature. From Wikipedia: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an Italian red wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. It should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese and other grapes.[1]… Continue reading Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Master Class*
New Finds from the Boston Wine Expo After a Covid-inflicted hiatus, the Boston Wine Expo was back in March 2023, with new ownership, a smaller venue, and a more professional ambiance. Shifting from the cavernous World Trade Center to the more intimate Park Plaza Hotel Ballroom was a smart move. Less cattle-call, more sip and… Continue reading 12 Wines to Love Now
Uruguay. Wine. What? Isn't Uruguay that tiny country wedged between Brazil and Argentina? The one with the great beaches and the primo beef? They make wine? Yup. And it‘s a robust wine industry at that. When we first wrote about Uruguay following a 2015 “Tannat Tasting Tour,” the country produced just 10 million cases annually.… Continue reading A Return Engagement in Uruguay
Brunello di Montalcino is widely regarded as one of the three “noble wines” of Italy, the others being Barolo and Amarone [Super Tuscan lovers, hold your boos.] Produced exclusively around the village of Montalcino using a particular variety of the Sangiovese grape, the ‘Sangiovese Grosso’, a Brunello di Montalcino must be made with 100% Sangiovese,… Continue reading “Noble” Brunello di Montalcino Tasting
We devoured CNN’s “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” series featuring the actor’s trek through the farms, fields, and restaurants of Italy. The show made us want to pack our bags and follow in his footsteps. But our trek would venture where Tucci failed to go: the vineyards and wineries in each region. Wine is as… Continue reading We Went “Searching For Italy” where Stanley Tucci Failed to Go!
In advance of attending a tasting of wines from Uruguay this week, we re-visit a 2015 post on...wines of Uruguay. We'll check back in after the new tasting to see how this growing wine region has progressed. When you think of Uruguay what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Oh, you don’t know much… Continue reading From the Archives: Wines of Uruguay 2015
2014, 2018 Vintages Tops in Vertical Tasting We’ve been buying Edict Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet for years, since the 2010 release. Dependably delicious and well-priced [$40ish] when compared with Napa Cabs that sell for twice the price, we amassed quite a collection of Edict vintages over time. When Napa Cab-loving friends came to visit, we… Continue reading Going Vertical With Edict Reserve Cab
Chianti Tasting with Famiglia Cecchi Wines One of the great perks of blogging about wine is the opportunity to attend private tastings hosted by wineries from all over the world. The invitations stopped cold in March 2020 as COVID swept across the country. In a hopeful sign of the “new normal,” we were invited to… Continue reading Tastings Return!
Long-time readers know I’ve got a thing for rosé wines, particularly the robust ones from Italy and Spain. Usually, I’m a fan club of one amid a crowd of Napa Cab drinkers. But when friends who share a taste for serious rosé came to visit, I whipped out the mats and cups and had a… Continue reading Wide World of Rosé
When Americans hear “Mexico” and “alcohol”, we think Tequila. Then maybe Mezcal. Beer too. Wine, not so much. But Mexico has been producing wine since the 1520’s, when homesick conquistadors planted vineyards across Central and South America with cuttings from Spanish vines. Whatever devastation Spain wreaked on the countries it conquered, it left a legacy… Continue reading Mexican Wine? Si!
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