, The Wine Novice Once again, I’ve called out my stable of experts to suggest a variety of pleasing wines for your Easter holiday enjoyment. Jo-Ann Ross of Boston is a licensed wine educator (WSET) who has earned both Italian Wine Scholar and French Wine Scholar certifications, respectively. She is also my instructor in the […]
General Wine
These three Pinot Noirs will bring on spring
I know there are 16 inches of snow on the ground after the third nor’easter in two weeks slammed into Massachusetts this week, but don’t despair. Spring is just around the corner. And that means only one thing: Break out the Burgundy — or, as we say in America, the Pinot Noir! Yes, my mind […]
Nerello Mascalese erupts with elegance in Zonin Rosé
The Nerello Mascalese is a thick-skinned red grape that thrives in the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna’s vineyard slopes in Sicily. Sunny exposures and the warm Mediterranean sea breezes allow it to ripen fully, yet winemakers are always on the lookout to make sure the grape retains its wonderful acidity. In southern Italy, Nerello Mascalese […]
Big Cab blowout coming Saturday
Napa Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignons boast big, powerful luscious tastes and this /Saturday (Feb. 24) at the Wine ConneXtion in North Andover you’ll be able to sample some of the little known gems of recent vintages. Sam Messina’s brought in 10 fruit bombs for your tasting pleasure. The free event, open to the public, runs from […]
Wine Novice will make a wine expert out of you
Can white wine be made from red grapes? What is the difference between oaked and unoaked Chardonnay? How do I know what grapes are used in a bottle of French Sancerre? If you want to learn the answers to these questions, and step up your wine-tasting skills, I’ll be teaching two fun courses in April […]
Part 2: There's a lavish Brunello for most budgets
In a recent column, I wrote about the versatility of the sangiovese grape, and focused on the high end Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta Il Greppo in Tuscany. Biondi-Santi is a collector’s wine, selling for high prices. But you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to enjoy this exquisite and highly revered Italian […]
10 wines to cleanse your post-holiday palate
If your palate needs a bit of reviving after the holidays, here are 10 wines you should consider purchasing right now. Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2016, $14.99: This is America’s top-selling brand of Chardonnay, with 300,000 cases produced from Kendall-Jackson’s outstanding California vineyards. The quality and consistency from vintage to vintage remains outstanding, a […]
Biondi-Santi Brunello: Sangiovese at its best
Sangiovese is the most widely planted red grape in Italy and also among the most versatile. It reigns supreme in Tuscany, where sangiovese (translation: blood of Jove or Jupiter) is the primary grape for four distinctly incredible wines: Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile Montepulciano (not to be confused with the southern Italian […]
Prosecco Part Two: Cartizze 'cru' and 4 DOCG delights
So what’s the difference between Prosecco DOC and Prosecco Superiore DOCG sparkling wines? Location, location, location. And a few more production details. The Prosecco DOC classification zone is broader, covering about 44,000 acres under vine in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions around Treviso. Prosecco Superiore DOCG zone is much smaller — only 17,000 […]
Prosecco: Tiny bubbles, BIG flavor
In 2016, the Prosecco DOC consortium in Veneto’s province of Treviso produced 400 million bottles of this beautiful, bubbly wine, mostly in its popular spumante style, and 22 percent of the total wound up in the United States. But that’s not all. In addition, the higher-classification Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG turned out 80 million bottles […]
