The passion and energy of wine
[URIS id=5852] Wine consumption in the United States declined slightly in 2019 for the first time in 25 years. Two categories, however, showed increased sales: sparkling wine and rose`. Americans love their bubblies and for good reason. We party. We celebrate. We romance. And we spend money on premium sparkling wines. Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) […]
In the northern heart of Sicily, about 150 miles south of Palermo, sits Tenuta Regaleali, one of five wine-estates owned by the Tasca d’Almerita family. It’s an island oasis defined by six green hills that gently rise and fall from a peak of 2,500 feet, creating sloping vineyards and valley fields of olive trees and […]
True or False: Chile annually exports more wine to world markets than does the United States. The answer is true and, quite frankly, amazing. At the close of 2018 Chile ranked No. 5 with $2 billion in global exports, according to a recent Wine Advisor report. The U.S. was No. 6 at $1.4 billion. (France […]
Vintners Jean Orens Ferraton and his son Michel have known winemaker extraordinaire Michel Chapoutier for more than two decades. In the mid-1990s, they brought organic farming to Rhone Valley vineyards when the term was still obscure. The Ferratons, whose winery was launched in 1946 by Jean, have relied on Chapoutier’s guidance to allow the land […]
[URIS id=5688] My top memories of 2019 certainly had a lot to do with wine and sharing it with family – especially my wife The Wine Goddess – family, friends and new acquaintances. This list of 30 wines reflects the best memories of those instances and not the value of the wine. I remember these […]
It was love at first sip. That’s the best way to describe my initial taste of Mencia, a red-grape used to craft fresh, fragrant, delicious wines from the Galicia region of northwestern Spain (Mencia is also made in Portugal). The Ribeira Sacra district is emerging as Spain’s “hottest” new wine-growing region, and A Fuga Mencia, […]
[URIS id=5731] Is Pinot Noir the grape of California’s future? It’s difficult to predict because the thin-skinned black grape needs almost ideal – and cooler – conditions to produce quality fruit. Sunny, warmer California presents an issue. Yet California’s innovative winemakers are adapting their unique terroirs to Pinot Noir and no longer feel intimidated by […]
When wine and cheese become part of a U.S.-European Union trade war, you know world leaders on both sides of the dispute have a corkscrew loose. This is not a political opinion column so I will refrain from positing blame. However, there are facts you should know as a wine consumer. If the Office of […]
(First in a series) What better way to begin the new year than with a new wine discovery? It’s called Tamarack Cellars 2016 Firehouse Red (SRP $19.99), a blend of nine Washington State grapes sourced from Columbia Valley vineyards. I knew from the first sip that I would like this wine: it’s smooth and soothing, […]
Here are two of my wine resolutions for 2020: First, to explore more of the world’s unique grapes and wines and, second, to be more willing to drink wine from a can. As to the former, climate change is impacting the wine industry from California to Croatia. Places previously ignored on the wine map are […]
