For a while now, Italy’s vintners have been embracing “international” varietals, and – to be perfectly honest – it’s not a trend I particularly care for. Though there is no doubt Super Tuscans have generated quite a bit of buzz, they are the main source of my consternation. It’s not that there is anything wrong […]
One of the most difficult things about wine critique – and, before I even get into that, I should mention that I don’t consider myself a true wine critic, at least that inhabits the same space as people like Robert Parker and Steven Tanzer, or even bloggers who do actual professional tasting events, but at […]
The big dog is an easy target. Corporate wine, not unlike comparisons from a range of consumer categories like cleaning products, burgers or mall store clothing, is patronized by many and derided by an equally sizable set. Connoisseurs, of course, scoff at the hint of mass production and ensconce in the refuge of craft vintners […]
When I was last in Rome, I had the opportunity to visit Open Balladin, a bar & restaurant known mostly for the fact that it is one of the few restaurants in the city that doesn’t serve wine – only beer. It’s a neat place, with an impressive 140+ beers on draft and in the […]
From my experience, Avignonesi is the flagship Vino Nobile available in the US. This may, of course, vary from region to region, but this is the wine I have found most easily from New York to South Carolina, at least. In Tuscany, around Montepulciano, Fattoria Cerro was the most commonly available, and generally the cheapest […]
This is one of my more interesting finds of late – it’s a blend of 3 grapes (33% Refosco, 33% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc), that’s also a blend of three consecutive vintages (“Treanni” = three years), resulting in a non-vintage release (even though the PA website lists this as a “2006”). According to the winemaker, […]
I often think of oak abuse as a New World wine problem. California Chardonnay, of course, is the most common example, but even with reds, it tends to be something that happens quite a bit in Cali, and Australia. Italians are supposed to be immune to this problem, instead bringing out Old World savory flavors […]
Being a wine buyer in Pennsylvania relies heavily on the luck of dealing with the Chairman’s Selection program. For those outside the state, PA is the second-largest wine buyer in the world (behind Ontario), and they use this buying power to get bulk deals on many wines, dubbed “Chairman’s Selections.” We can’t buy wine anywhere […]
When I was first exposed to Barbera, I often found it to be too darn acidic. Of course, with most Italian red varieties, acidity is of the utmost importance, including, obviously, Barbera, but also Dolcetto and Sangiovese, as well as others. Acidity is what makes these wines so versatile with food. It took me a […]
One of my goals with this blog is to discover lesser-known Italian varietals with you, dear reader. There are many varietals that even I, your writer and lover off all culinary things Italian, am not familiar with. Sure, we also look at Chiantis and Barolos and the like, but it is days like today, when […]