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 […]
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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 […]
Making John's Wine
The distress call came in at 7 o’clock on a Saturday night. My twin brother John, who is two minutes older than me, said his home winemaking operation was in jeopardy. Several friends who regularly drink his wine failed to show up and help him de-stem and press 200 pounds of newly arrived Napa Valley […]
Gratallops' Black Slate red unleases Priorat's power
On the evening when I’m planning to drink a new wine from Priorat, the October issue of Wine Spectator arrives with a cover story titled “Great Spanish Reds: Alvaro Palacious Leads Priorat to New Heights.” The Wine Goddess smiles, thinking I’m an “expert” able to spot wine industry trends, especially after I glowingly tell her […]
October kicks off big wine deals
October is a good month for wine. Tutto Bene Wine & Cheese Cellar on Prescott Street in downtown Lowell is offering a month-long promotion of a 25 percent discount on each 12-bottle case purchased. Proprietor Richard “Ricardo” Rourke says customers can mix and match from any products in the store. Other discounts are also available […]
Alto Adige wines are alight in tradition, uniqueness
On summer evenings in June in Italy’s northernmost province of Alto Adige, residents sit in cafes drinking pitchers of wine and eating plates of bresaola (air-cured beef) while gazing for hours at the fuochi burning in the mountains. The fires are symbolic of warning signals that used to alert citizens of an impending invasion. Today, […]
Le Volte dell'Ornellaia 2013: A Super Tuscan at a super price
Marchese Lodovico Antinori produced Ornellaia Estate’s first vintage in 1985, marking the historic launch of the Super Tuscan blend of Italy’s Sangiovese grape with that of France’s Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Marchese is gone and the Ornellaia Estate has changed hands several times, the wine world has never been the same. While bottles […]
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