Got the wine blahs? Need a different taste to pick up the palate? OK, it happens to all of us. If you’re looking for a breather from big, bold reds, why not try Mourvédre (More-VEH-dra)? That’s the French name for this black, thick-skinned grape which grows in the country’s southern regions where it benefits from […]
Author: Jim Campanini
Michael David's Petite Petit Sirah: WE's No.2 wine for 2015
I told you about Michael David Winery’s 2013 Petite Petit Sirah from Lodi in October. Here’s what I wrote when I tasted this gem at the Wine ConneXtion in North Andover: “This is the best bargain in America today, if you can still get it. The violet color is absolutely stunning in the glass, and […]
Four 'cool' and inviting California Pinot Noirs
Pinot Noir no longer gets shortchanged in America — and the world — for good reason: Winemakers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and California’s Central Coast have put their stylistic stamp on this persnickety grape to popular effect. As can be expected among the two western states, the difference in terroir and climate yield varied and […]
Wine by the Magnum adds glitz to the holidays
What’s “hot” this holiday season for wine lovers? Large format bottles that make a statement. They’re big, bold, and beautiful — gold-etched labels add elegance — and represent a perfect gift for the connoisseur, collector or special person in your life. They also add luster to any holiday party and dinner table. I’m talking about […]
Expert selections: 31 wines for Thanksgiving holiday
For the fourth year in a row I’ve gathered Thanksgiving Day recommendations from area wine experts for your perusal and enjoyment. Feel free to visit them at their respective stores and talk about what might go well with your holiday dinner, which is seven days away. Finally, remember to drink responsibly and show gratitude for […]
Tasters' choice: Willamette Valley Vineyards, Wild Horse wines
What’s on your palate? It’s Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir for the newly-formed Mill City Mass Media Oenophile Club, a small group of novice wine tasters from The Sun’s newsroom. We met recently after work to sample seven wines — two whites, five reds — from Oregon’s Willamette Valley Vineyards, California’s Wild Horse Winery in […]
House of Speri hits high mark with voluptuous Valpolicella
“We don’t make wine to shock the mouth. We make wine to fill the mouth with intense flavors that are smooth, elegant and lasting. We make wine that is beautiful with food. A great vintage is one in which we make less.” The words from Luca Speri were music to my ears, like the great […]
Sicily's Nero d'Avola: The wine of 'The Leopard'
“I belong to an unlucky generation, astride between two worlds and ill-at-ease in both. And what is more, I am completely without illusions. Now, what would the Senate do with me, an inexperienced legislator who lacks the faculty for self-deception, an essential requisite for wanting to guide others. No, I cannot lift a finger in […]
No drought in quality at Michael David Winery
California’s drought — labeled “severe” — is now in its fourth year and the San Joaquin Valley, rich in cherry farming and vineyards, is one of the hardest hit. Smack in the valley’s middle is the city of Lodi, home of the Michael David Winery, a fifth-generation family-owned operation producing some of America’s most highly […]
Blockbuster wines at bargain prices
It’s never too early to start thinking about purchasing wines for the upcoming holidays, or to cozy up to during the winter months. October is a big sales month for wine retailers, especially with new stock arriving on shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For several weeks I’ve been sampling new wines with the Wine Butler […]
