Mark Guillaudeu, a member of the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers, finished first runnerup in the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) Contest Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025, held Nov. 17-21 in Sonoma, CA. Guillaudeu, who appeared on the Grapefully Yours Wine Podcast in January, bested all but one of the 16 national candidates […]
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Podcast: A conversation with Master Sommelier Mark Guillaudeu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MaBe-5vTFg&t=25s
Podcast: Barbera D’Asti and other delights at Lenzi’s wine-tasting dinner
A conversation with the Wine Butler on the wine-tasting dinner held at Lenzi’s Restaurant in Dracut for 10 people who donated $1,500 to the annual WCAP 980 Radiothon benefiting the Salvation Army of Greater Lowell for the night out. I hosted the event while Chef Mike Lenzi prepared a sumptuous 5-course meal. https://insidelowell.com/podcasts-pop-out-player/?postId=15268
Planeta’s “Eruzione 1614” is a “lava-licious” Mt. Etna wine for 2024 and beyond
Planeta Eruzione 1614 Nerello Mascalese 2019, Sicilia DOC, SRP: $30, abv. 13.7% – The more I drink this grape, the more fascinated I am with its origins and taste. Nerello Mascalese is one of Mt. Etna’s very own noble red grapes, offering a Pinot Noir-type garnet and ruby color, perfumey aromas, and effusive, layered, red-fruit […]
Etna’s ‘Saxanigra Spumante Brut’: A volcanic sparkling wine that rocks with taste and tiny bubbles
I tried a new drink over the holidays and it was absolutely fantastic. Destro “Saxanigra” Spumante Millemisato Brut (SRP: $25) from the Mt. Etna region in Sicily. This Italian sparkling wine, from the 2017 vintage, is made from 100 percent red Nerello Mascalese grapes and puts to rest any notion that bubbly wines are less […]
Hybridizing Daylilies 102: The next step toward creating beautiful garden companions
September 2023 Hello fellow gardeners, I hope that many of you have had the chance to take the class of Hybridizing Daylilies 101. I have been creating new cultivars since 2014 and look forward to new ones every year. It was a very warm, humid, and wet summer and the success rate of fertilizing was […]
Tuscany’s Chianti Classico: The ‘Black Rooster’ has a lot to crow about
Now is the time to stock up on one of Italy’s greatest red wines – sangiovese-based Chianti Classico. The last three recorded vintages from this DOCG appellation – 2018, 2019, 2020 – have earned high quality ratings of 92 points or better, and the 2021 vintage is trending in a classic direction (95 points and […]
Santorini’s volcanic Assyrtiko wines erupt with crisp and stylish elegance
Everyone seems to be going this summer to Greece and the ancient, idyllic, volcanic island of Santorini. The GOAT – Tom Brady – went there recently to attend a very private VIP party. Celebrities of every kind go there weekly to get their photos taken on fancy yachts and published in People magazine and the […]
Spain’s El Coto de Rioja wines beat the heat at bargain prices
El Coto de Rioja wines were featured on the Grapefully Yours Wine Podcast recently by co-host Mike Pigeon, aka The Wine Butler, and Jim Campanini. CORRECTION: The wines reviewed in this article were media samples received from Donna White Communications, a public relations firm representing El Coto de Rioja wines. A reference in my July […]
The Garden Goddess: Welcome to Hybridizing Class 101
By Mary Lee Harrington Hello fellow gardeners, I’d like to thank my husband, Jim, for allowing me to have a little space on his website to share photos of the many daylilies I have been collecting since 2009. Also, planting tips and gardening ideas. Most of my daylily collection has been acquired from local growers […]
