Ex-Red Sox star Bill Lee is now pitching a California red blend. Bill Lee was one of the most colorful and controversial baseball players ever to perform in a Boston Red Sox uniform. He was on a different level entirely, especially when it came to analyzing his Leephus (or Space Ball) pitch, the longitude and […]
Author: Jim Campanini
A 'Phantom' red to warm your heart
Bogle Vineyards’ Phantom red wine had a unique effect on the Wine Novice. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera remains my all-time favorite Broadway musical. I’ve seen touring productions in Boston and Providence but never with the original stars, the great Michael Crawford (The Phantom) and equally superb Sarah Brightman (Christine Daaé). My […]
Five savory whites to protect your wallet
The Memorial Day weekend provided an ample opportunity to honor America’s military heroes, especially those who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending our country in foreign wars. A great tasting sauvignon blanc for less than $10. At a neighbor’s cookout, I met a Lowell couple and their son who is in the military and assigned […]
Two guides to peak wine performance
I hit a major milestone in my life last week, turning 60, and I found great celebration in a short four-day trip to Washington, D.C., with my twin brother John, who lives in Providence where we were born in the Italian-Irish West End neighborhood. While we remain close, John and I are separate and distinct […]
Save your 'green' on these bargain reds
The June 2012 issue of Wine Enthusiast features an attention-grabbing story on the cover: “30 Great Napa Cabs for $30 or Less.” If you like cabernet, it’s a must read. Most of the wines are rated 88 points or higher. Still, you can find less expensive cabs that fit right in with WE’s selections for […]
Meditrina, a new wine love of loves
Meditrina, the Roman Goddess of Health and Wine, is the name of a heavenly red blend from Oregon. Newsroom budgets and not bottles have consumed most of my time lately, although I did get to taste five wines in the Pergola over the weekend. While the Wine Goddess did her thing in the garden, I […]
Wine Deals of the Week
WINE PICKS OF THE WEEK: Go to Costco in New Hampshire and check out the Eroica Riesling from Washington State. This is a 92-point rated wine (Wine Enthusiast) selling for $16.69. Its orange aromas and clean, semi-dry taste will transport you to a resort island, where you’ll pine for scallops and crab or maybe a […]
A Night of Grape Success in Lowell
Thursday’s night’s wine tasting benefit for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank proved to be a grape success. Several hundred people came out to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and tasted wines from California, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and New Hampshire – that’s right, New Hampshire. Food stations surrounded the outer edges of the Auditorium […]
Mastering the basics of wine with Dennis Meadows
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJQ-ZLjJT3Q] Dennis Meadows is the assistant wine purchaser at Ricardo’s Trattoria in Lowell. He’s also been managing the spacious bar for eight years. I met with Dennis on Tuesday to learn the techniques of properly opening a wine bottle, how to pour a glass of wine, and the best way to store an opened […]
'Troublemaker' crashes wine-tasting extravaganza
Troublemaker made a lot of noise with its red-blended taste and elegance. On a gorgeous Saturday evening, my wife Mary Lee and I hosted four other couples in a wine and food pairing extravaganza. Three reds and three whites were served with different foods throughout the evening. The reds were: • 2009 Giacomo Fenocchio Langhe […]
