If you’re looking for wines this weekend, here are some specials to put in the basket. Delas Viognier Pays D’OC 2017, $9.99 – A nice Rhone Valley white that comes across more refined than the price suggests. Filled with apricot, peach, and honeysuckle flavors, this 100 percent Viognier sees only steel tank fermentation and yet […]
Flavor of the day
Singing the praise of Sannio’s Aglianico and Falanghina wines
Campania’s powerhouse red grape Aglianico is often described as the “Barolo of southern Italy,” prompting winemaker Libero Rillo to take a qualified – and prideful – exception: “We, in Benevento, hear that often and politely correct it. ‘No’, we say, ‘Barolo is the Aglianico of the North.’ ” Rillo’s point was well taken at a […]
What’s wrong with Chardonnay? Nothing. It’s wonderful all over the world
The “ABC” movement – Anything But Chardonnay – began benignly several years ago in an effort to build consumer awareness about other grape varietals made into wine and worth experiencing. In 2008, Laura Holmes Haddad wrote a book under the “ABC” title that offered a world of discovery into unfamiliar red and white grapes. It […]
What’s a Tussock Jumper? Global wines that leap in taste and value
The Tussock Jumper “winery” doesn’t own a vineyard or a production facility, yet the French-based company has built a portfolio of 24 wines from 11 wine-growing regions to become a seemingly overnight sensation. Basically, Tussock Jumper can provide a global portfolio under one roof, making it an attractive consumer option to purchase diverse terroir-driven wines […]
A new ‘Freakshow’ blockbuster? Try Michael David Winery’s ‘flirty’ Chardonnay
When the Phillips brothers – David and Michael – sold the popular Seven Deadly Zins brand to The Wine Group, no one really expected Michael David Winery (MDW) to rest on its laurels and untold millions. The brothers, who launched the winery in 1984 from an old hay barn in Lodi, are known for their […]
‘Freakshow’ tasting is one you don’t want to miss at WineConneXtion
You don’t want to miss Saturday’s free, open-to-the-public winetasting event at the Wine ConneXtion in Norther Andover, where David Phillips, co-owner of the Michael David Winery in Lodi (CA) will be on hand to pour his popular Freakshow wines. The Phillips’ family has been cultivating grapes and making wine for six generations. Michael and his […]
For an authentic Oktoberfest, give Gewurztraminer, Schiava, and Lagrein a try
It’s Oktoberfest in wine-harvesting regions across the globe and people are making merry with celebratory food and drink events that sometimes go on for days. In Alto Adige-Sudtirol, Italy’s northernmost region abutting the Swiss Alps and Austria, German influence still reigns in language, culture and viticuluture. The cuisine, though, reflects the area’s multiple ethnic character. […]
Seven Birches Winery at Loon Mountain: Crush ’til you drop and drink the wine
“Grape Stompers Wanted”. I received the above call to people with big feet and good balance in a link promoting the 4th Annual White Mountains Crush Festival (Oct. 25-27). Naturally, I was intrigued. So I telephoned Mark LaClair, owner/winemaker of The Seven Birches Winery in Lincoln, N.H., and was instantly fascinated by the details of […]
Israeli wines offer a medley of exciting New and Old World tastes
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), […]
Best wine bargains for fall begin with Rhone Valley’s “Les Abeilles”
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 […]
