, The Wine Novice Thanksgiving is truly an all-American holiday and, naturally, the pairing of food and wine should be all-American too. At least that’s what I used to think. Not anymore. We live in a melting pot of a nation, so why shouldn’t the holiday dinner table feature a melting pot of wines? With […]
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Some fine wine choices for Thanksgiving
, The Wine Novice Did Thanksgiving just sneak up on us this year? I don’t know about you, but I’m off by a week. To me, Thanksgiving always seemed to fall on the last Thursday of November but this year it arrives a week early — on Nov. 22. Whatever, it’s time for the annual […]
Discover Umbria in Montemelino, Orvieto Classico
, The Wine Novice When you think of the world’s great wine regions of the world, no one is going to jump up and shout “Umbria.” It’s neither No. 1 or for that matter No. 100. Yet it’s a gem of an undiscovered place. Umbria is central and southern Italy’s only landlocked region, bordered entirely […]
Romeo & Juliet would tell you wherefore you'd love these wines
, The Wine Novice If star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet could have shared a final glass of wine, maybe they would have reached for Famiglia Pasqua’s Passione e Sentimento Rosso. It’s a red wine made from Corvina, Merlot and Croatina grapes grown in vineyards located not far from the Verona balcony where Juliet was serenaded […]
These wine novices in a class of their own
The Nesmith House was glamorous and full of life for the first class of “Vino Rosso: The Incomparable Red Wines of Northern Italy.” Nineteen enthusiastic oenophiles met Thursday in Lowell to learn about the four pillars of prestigious Italian wine – Super Tuscan, Chianti, Barolo and Brunello – from the Piemonte and Toscana regions. We […]
The Wine Professor is in for one night (OK, two)
, The Wine Novice The table is set for an evening of “The Incomparable Wines of Northern Italy,” a two-hour learning and tasting seminar at the elegant Nesmith House in Lowell, presented by yours truly as part of Middlesex Community College’s adult continuing-education program. Tonight’s class of 20 “students” is sold out; however, because of […]
Wines to drink now — and some to save for later
A fan of this column approached me over the weekend and asked, “Jim, what are you drinking now?’” I replied without hesitation. It’s not what I am drinking now, it’s what I am buying for later. Like saving for your retirement, there’s something to be said for buying wines that will enrich your drinking and […]
Taste your way to an education in Italian wines (like I did)
If you are truly interested in developing your global wine acumen, there’s no better way to start than with the Wine Scholar Guild’s Italian Wine Scholar program that begins Saturday, Oct. 13. My mentor , Jo-Ann Ross, will be teaching Unit 1 on Northern Italian wines, which covers Piedmont, Trentino, Alto Adige and Val D’Aosta. […]
Doors reopened, Wine ConneXtion offers Spanish samples
, The Wine Novice Now here’s a treat. The Wine ConneXtion in North Andover is featuring wines from Spain this Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m. If you like moderate- to full-bodied and spicy wines, it’s worth the trip to 117 Main St. Sam and Tina Messina, the store’s co-owners, have had a rough few […]
Concha y Toro spices up the season with Camenere
Did you feel that evening chill in the air this past week? Yes, it’s a sign that autumn is fast approaching and that like the changing seasons, it’s time to make a move to the red wine cellar. To many Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers, there’s really no need to panic. You can drink that big, bold […]
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