Napacab. One word, three syllables. Celebrated all over, often over-priced and occasionally over-hyped, it’s the pour of choice among one-half of Vino Duo and most of our wine-loving friends. Last month, we gathered these friends for a blind tasting of four moderately-priced ($50 - $100) 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines, along with a ringer—a… Continue reading Napa Cab 2017 Blind Tasting
Category: Tastings
Italian Wines off the Beaten Path
Our last wine journey to Italy was in the year 2018 BC (Before Covid). We spent a very happy week visiting wineries in Puglia, taking a deep dive into lesser-known [to us] red grapes like Aglianico, Susumaniello, and Negroamara and the white grapes Verdeca and Fiano. So, when the Commonwealth Wine School announced a 90-minute… Continue reading Italian Wines off the Beaten Path
Volpaia’s 2015 Chianti Classico Lives Up to Star Ratings
Tomorrow night we may be popping Champagne corks or drowning ourselves in Tequila, depending on the success of the Biden/Harris ticket. But last night, it was Chianti all around, paired with Rao pasta and Gary's homemade Bolognese sauce. He's been tinkering with this classic meat sauce ever since we returned from Puglia, where a Tuna… Continue reading Volpaia’s 2015 Chianti Classico Lives Up to Star Ratings
Another Stellar Italian Rosato
Altopiano Terre di Chieti Rosato, Feudo Antico 2017 $8/bottle In previous posts I've raved about Italian rosés crafted from Nebbiolo, Negroamaro, and Sangiovese red wine grapes. These Italian rosato wines aren't light summer sippers with adorable labels and soda pop flavors. The wines I favor have structure and substance while also feeling a little like… Continue reading Another Stellar Italian Rosato
Summer Sipping – Great Finds
It's 95 degrees on Cape Cod this week, so light and bright are the watchwords for recent wine selections. Red or white, we're drinking wines that don't weigh us down like the wine we drink in December when the sun has disappeared at 4:30pm. White/Rosé Lorenzo Negro San Martin Rosato - $19/bottle A certain long-time… Continue reading Summer Sipping – Great Finds
VinoDuo’s Favorite Wines of 2019
In our line of work/play, you taste a lot of wine. Some you sip and instantly spit. Some you sip, swirl, and then spit. Then there are those you savor, drink fully, and remember. These are the wines we've compiled into our favorite wines of the year list. Most are reasonably priced. Some are cheap.… Continue reading VinoDuo’s Favorite Wines of 2019
A Tale of Four Cabs: Napa 2014 Blind Tasting
Gary loves Napa Cabs. Our dear friends also love Napa Cabs. Lisa? Not so much. But she was game for organizing a blind tasting of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. This was a proper horizontal tasting with three bottles of 2014 Napa Cab Sauv and one 2014 Sonoma ringer. The tasters were six knowledgeable… Continue reading A Tale of Four Cabs: Napa 2014 Blind Tasting
New $25 and Under Finds at Gala Tasting
In autumn, wine shops typically hold a “grand tasting” showcasing wines promoted by their various distributors. In advance of the holidays, wine-lovers flock to these events for free tastings and a few cubes of cheese. VinoDuo is always up for a free gala tasting, particularly if it’s held at a shop we’ve never been to.… Continue reading New $25 and Under Finds at Gala Tasting
$5,000 Chardonnay? Skinner Wine Auction Preview and How the Other Half Lives
Vino Duo recently attended a Skinner pre-auction tasting of some of the wine industry’s most storied quaffs. These are big-money wines that are treasured by collectors, including Montrachet’s rare Grand Cru, a Rothschild 1982 Bordeaux, vintage Barolos, and few Chateau Neufs thrown in for good measure. Pricing was irrelevant as we had no intent of… Continue reading $5,000 Chardonnay? Skinner Wine Auction Preview and How the Other Half Lives
Holiday Wine Gifts: Beyond the Usual Suspects
So friends, Halloween is gone and Thanksgiving and the winter holidays loom. When you're asked to bring a bottle of wine to these gatherings, your first thought might be to grab an old reliable like Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay or the red blend 19 Crimes. How about considering an alternative to these tried-and-true offerings? With so much… Continue reading Holiday Wine Gifts: Beyond the Usual Suspects
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