Travel & Tasting Notes From A Couple of Wine Lovers
Part 1 - White Wines VinoDuo took a trip to the South of France in October for a wine-tasting adventure in Bordeaux and Languedoc. During tours and tastings we visited 19 wineries and tasted more than 150 wines, winding our way South from St. Emilion to Bordeaux and then east to Montpellier. We'll have plenty… Continue reading A Trip to France Yields Beaucoup Bottles to Recommend
Waltham, Mass. is home to one of the Boston area’s best Italian restaurants and Italian wine shops, both owned by Campania native David Maione. La Campania and Vino Italiano are located a few blocks from each other on Main Street and are regular stops on the VinoDuo social calendar. In September, Maione paired the restaurant’s… Continue reading A Taste of Campania, from Campania
*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
Normally I would start a late-March post with "It's been a tough winter with cold and snow and we were stuck inside tasting new wines." I can't use that excuse this year, as our winter was remarkably temperate and dry. In fact, it was the perfect weather for seeking out new wines. Here are a… Continue reading Recent Favorites
Instead of a Best Wines of 2022 we're sharing some recent finds that have quickly become favorites. Most are $20 and under; a few are a bit pricey. Bring any one of them to a New Year's Eve party or other gathering and your host will thank you. Cheers, Salut, Skoal, Santé and L'Chaim to… Continue reading Year-End Wine Finds 2022
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!
Inflation has hit our pocketbooks in so many ways: gas, food, clothing, wine. Of course, higher wine prices are not as painful as increases at the pump or the check-out line, but for those who consider a glass of wine with dinner as essential as coffee at breakfast, a 20 -25% bump in wine prices… Continue reading 20 Wines For $20 and Under: Inflation Edition
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
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