The passion and energy of wine
Israeli winemaking dates back 5,000 years – 2,000 years before the Romans crushed grapes – yet only recently has the small, eastern Mediterranean nation gained notice as a burgeoning wine paradise. It’s true. Despite a land mass slightly smaller than the size of New Jersey, 14,400 total acres under vine (one-third of California’s Napa Valley), […]
This week’s column begins with a Double Deal of the Week Special and for good reason. There are still some bottles around of winemaker Jean Luc-Colombo’s 2016 Cotes du Rhone “Les Abeilles” Rouge ($12.99) and “Les Abeilles” Blanc ($12.99) and they’re worth snapping up for autumn/fall entertaining. Both are outstanding French wines for the listed […]
Women are a strong force in the U.S. wine industry and here are three winemakers worth watching: Angelina Mondavi of CK Mondavi Family & Wines; and Chrissy Whittman and Niki Williams of The Prisoner Wine Co. in Napa Valley. All have crafted new and exciting wines over this past year. For Angela Mondavi, wine is […]
Whether you’re a New England Patriots fan or not, you have to marvel at the high quality performance of the game’s No. 1 quarterback, Tom Brady. At age 42, TB12’s winning consistency at football’s most demanding position makes him the greatest all-time NFL player on many sports analysts’ lists. So when the defending Super Bowl […]
Summer might be winding down but it doesn’t mean your palate has to fade away to fall. Here are five fun-filled and flavorful wines to keep summer’s spirit alive through the Labor Day weekend. Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Sparkling Rose`,Germany, $13.99 – Dr. Loosen and Villa Wolf owner Ernst Loosen’s philosophy is simple: Make quality […]
Aperture Cellars winemaker Jesse Katz is “changing the way the world drinks.” That’s what Wine Enthusiast editors gushed in a recent cover story praising Katz as one of the industry’s top under-40 innovators. Katz’s small-batch wines from California’s North Coast appellations represent a “textural” revolution, especially the whites, where fresh-pressed juice is initially barrel fermented […]
I’m fortunate to have a wine expert living in my neighborhood. For more than 20 years, Craig Gandolf was the wine director for Jorge Ordonez Selections, one of the largest U.S. importers of Spanish wines. In May 2018, he was named national sales manager for Cynthia Hurley French Wines based in Needham. While French wines […]
For years Tenuta San Guido estate’s “Guidalberto” has lived in the shadow as a second label to “Sassicaia”, the Marchesa Mario della Rochetta’s legendary Bordeaux-style wine that launched Italy’s Super Tuscan phenomenon in the 1970s. Now run by son Nicolo`, Tenuta San Guido enjoys the best of both worlds. Sassicaia, which retails at $250 a […]
“You want it darker,” sang the late-great poet-singer Leonard Cohen in one of his final albums before he died in 2016. Too bad he wasn’t singing about wine. Yes, Mr. Cohen, I want it darker too – in the glass. After drinking pale pink rose` wines for what seems like an eternity this summer, my […]
What do you serve to guests at a garden party during an oppressive heat wave? Cool, clean, crisp rose` – and plenty of it! Sixteen intrepid neighbors toured my wife Mary Lee’s daylily gardens over the weekend as temperatures sizzled. Buoyed by glasses of chilled rose`, no one wavered or wilted. The daylilies – all […]
