In the northern heart of Sicily, about 150 miles south of Palermo, sits Tenuta Regaleali, one of five wine-estates owned by the Tasca d’Almerita family. It’s an island oasis defined by six green hills that gently rise and fall from a peak of 2,500 feet, creating sloping vineyards and valley fields of olive trees and […]
Month: January 2020
Wines of the Day (1-25-20): Vina San Pedro wines from Chile offer value
True or False: Chile annually exports more wine to world markets than does the United States. The answer is true and, quite frankly, amazing. At the close of 2018 Chile ranked No. 5 with $2 billion in global exports, according to a recent Wine Advisor report. The U.S. was No. 6 at $1.4 billion. (France […]
Six Cotes-du-Rhone wines that replenish the vines, refresh the palate
Vintners Jean Orens Ferraton and his son Michel have known winemaker extraordinaire Michel Chapoutier for more than two decades. In the mid-1990s, they brought organic farming to Rhone Valley vineyards when the term was still obscure. The Ferratons, whose winery was launched in 1946 by Jean, have relied on Chapoutier’s guidance to allow the land […]
My Top 30 Memories (Wines) List of 2019
My top memories of 2019 certainly had a lot to do with wine and sharing it with family – especially my wife The Wine Goddess – family, friends and new acquaintances. This list of 30 wines reflects the best memories of those instances and not the value of the wine. I remember these moments and […]
Wine of the Day (1-17-2020): A Fuga Mencia 2108, Ribeira Sacra
It was love at first sip. That’s the best way to describe my initial taste of Mencia, a red-grape used to craft fresh, fragrant, delicious wines from the Galicia region of northwestern Spain (Mencia is also made in Portugal). The Ribeira Sacra district is emerging as Spain’s “hottest” new wine-growing region, and A Fuga Mencia, […]
Five California Pinot Noirs that are in a groove for grape-ness
Is Pinot Noir the grape of California’s future? It’s difficult to predict because the thin-skinned black grape needs almost ideal – and cooler – conditions to produce quality fruit. Sunny, warmer California presents an issue. Yet California’s innovative winemakers are adapting their unique terroirs to Pinot Noir and no longer feel intimidated by the grape’s […]
Wine of the Day (1-6-2020): Rocca Giovanni Barolo 2014
A bottle of Rocca Giovanni Barolo 2014 was gifted to me over the holidays by a dear friend who really knows little about wine. What he does know, however, is that I adore Italian wine, so he went to a store, and asked a clerk for a nice bottle. The clerk did him justice. I […]
No one wins in a wine war between U.S. and EU
When wine and cheese become part of a U.S.-European Union trade war, you know world leaders on both sides of the dispute have a corkscrew loose. This is not a political opinion column so I will refrain from positing blame. However, there are facts you should know as a wine consumer. If the Office of […]
Wine of the Day (1-4-20): B.R. Cohn Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
B.R Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (SRP $25.99) is my value deal of the week. You can get this fresh, lush wine for $18.99 in New Hampshire – a whopping 27 percent discount – until February 20. If you buy a mixed case of 12 bottles, you can rack up another 15 percent savings. Why do […]
Wine of the Day (1-1-20): Tamarack Cellars 2016 Firehouse Red
(First in a series) What better way to begin the new year than with a new wine discovery? It’s called Tamarack Cellars 2016 Firehouse Red (SRP $19.99), a blend of nine Washington State grapes sourced from Columbia Valley vineyards. I knew from the first sip that I would like this wine: it’s smooth and soothing, […]
