Brunello di Montalcino is one of my favorite wines in the world. It’s a gorgeous wine of great complexity and character that relies on Mother Nature and incredible patience to produce. Under Italian law, regular Brunello must be aged for five years before it can be released for sale; the riservas must wait six years. From a drinking […]
Author: Jim Campanini
Fab 50: Tickle your taste buds and celebrate a milestone at a Grand Tasting in Andover on Saturday
Wine drinkers, rev up your palates! On Saturday, the Wine ConneXtion in North Andover is hosting a Grand Wine Tasting event to celebrate its seventh anniversary. Co-owners Sam and Tina Messina and their staff have culled a list of more than 1,000 brands and come up with 50 favorites in all wine styles, varietals and […]
Two wines that clear up the confusion on Montepulciano
What’s the difference between Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Montepulciano D’Abruzzo? The answer is simple: Both are wines made entirely from different grapes grown in different regions. Vino nobile di Montepulciano is named for the town/region in Tuscany where ancient Etruscans first planted vineyards. The wine is made from a clone of the Sangiovese grape; […]
Tenuta Sette Ponti's Crognolo: A consistently elegant Super Tuscan
The 2014 viintage of Tenuta Sette Ponti’s “Crognolo” — a Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot — was released several months ago and is now available in Massachusetts and New Hampshire wine outlets. If you like full-bodied, dry Italian red wines with a lot of character and smoothness, this one is worth a […]
Say 'Ole!' to Jorge Ordonez' Spanish wines
If you know little about Spanish wines, today’s your lucky day. Craig Gandolf, a Lowell resident, is the USA Wine Director for one ofthe biggest and most respected production and importing houses in Spain — Jorge Ordoñez Selections. Ordoñez, who has strong roots in Massachusetts, including a home and office on Cape Cod, has helped to liberate and […]
Wines to warm the spirit as summer fades
Where did the summer go? Today is the first day of autumn and the Wine Goddess has already begun her fall gardening protocol: Relocating plants, pruning shrubs, taking down water fountains, putting patio furniture in the shed, etc. As I recline in the pergola drinking a nice, cool white wine from the Cotes du Rhone, […]
Mill City Oenophiles discover international treasures
The Mill City Oenophile Club met in late August to review an international selection of Sauvignon Blancs and one red wine — an outstanding Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo San Martino Rosso. The six tasters — five Sun reporters and yours truly– judged the wines in five categories: appearance, aroma, body (texture), taste and finish. Points […]
Savoring David Phinney's Abstract work
There are very few wine drinking experiences I enjoy more than filling up a glass with a David Phinney wine, savoring it, and trying to figure out the bottle’s label. The Napa Valley winemaker has made his wines and labels into a high-art form since founding Orin Swift Cellars in 1998. Since then, Phinney has […]
Villa Gemma a uniquely refreshing rosé
The summer of 2016 has turned out to be my summer of fabulous rosé. I’ve tasted at least two dozen different bottlings from all over the world — even Israel — and each one has left a positive impression. They’re light, fruity, dry and exquisitely refreshing. Everyone who makes wine seems to be getting in […]
Raise a glass to toast France at the Olympics in Rio
As of my writing deadline, France had won two gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro, and was tied for fifth in the overall medal count with six. If there was any national team that I wanted to see do well, besides the United States, it was France. Why? Since […]
