The passion and energy of wine
It was only a matter of time before I tried drinking wine out of an aluminum can and, quite frankly, I survived. That doesn’t mean I enjoyed the experience. I didn’t. Lifting the cold can to my lips to get a sip of wine was frustrating. The liquid rushed out as I tilted the can. […]
The results of a survey question I posted on social media two weeks ago have confirmed a popular trend: The “sweet” spot for consumers buying a “decent” bottle of wine is in the $11 to $15 range. Of the 126 people who responded, a solid 70 percent ( 89 respondents) said they spent at least […]
Now is the time to get to know Barbaresco, the red wine from Italy’s northern Piedmont growing region that plays a great second fiddle to Barolo, its more prestigious and expensive cousin. The 2015 growing season was fabulous, according to wine experts, and I’ve got just the wine to put you on the Barbaresco bandwagon: […]
What is the largest and most visited winery in the United States? It’s the Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville, N.C. Surprised? I was. Then I visited the Biltmore Estate, toured its impressive 450-room “house”, ate lunch in the Stable Café, and tasted the locally made wines. The 8,000-acre estate is an architectural and environmental shrine […]
The Paso Robles wine region , located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is often described as the “wild west of wines” and it’s easy to see why: “El Paso de Robles” (Pass of Oak Trees) was co-founded in 1869 by Drury James, uncle of notorious outlaws Frank and Jesse James. Today, 140 years later, […]
The meal was simple and superb – mussels, shrimp, spaghetti, and spicy pasta sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese. The Wine Goddess, my wife Mary Lee, cooked it in 15 minutes, about the time it takes me to shave in the morning. The WG never ceases to amaze me. After a long day of looking at […]
Mention the name Allegrini and two things quickly come to mind: voluptuous Valpolicella and lovely Verona, an enchanting place not far from Venice where the romantic story of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet attracts thousands of visitors each year. But there is another “V” word […]
Craig Gandolf’s got a new and exciting position as National Sales Director for #CynthiaHurleyFrenchWines of West Newton, and he’s looking forward to someday expanding the import company’s select portfolio to include a few quality Spanish brands. Gandolf’s not shooting in the dark; for nearly two decades he was the director of Jorge Ordonez Selections, the […]
Washington State wines are no longer a secret to savvy sommeliers. So why aren’t more bottlings from the majestic Pacific Northwest showing up on restaurant wine lists? I made this point to a group of 10 friends while hosting a tasting of some of my best Washington State club member wines from the 2013 vintage. […]
I tagged along with the Wine Goddess (my wife Mary Lee) on her recent Costco shopping excursion when I saw this gem in the wine section: Kirkland Signature Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2016. She said she was buying salmon for dinner, so I went ahead and put this bottle in her cart. I’m glad I […]
