Naseem Momtazi is the national sales director of Maysara Winery and one of three sisters who work in the family’s wine business. The elder Momtazis emigrated to Oregon from northern Iran after the fall of Shah Pahlavi during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They settled in the Willamette Valley where they farm more than 500 acres […]
White Wines
Video 2: Winemaker Scott Shull, Raptor Ridge Winery
In this video, Raptor Ridge Winery founder/winemaker Scott Shull describes the conditions for making his Barrel Select Pinot Noir ($30) and Temperance Hill Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Video 1: Gabi Prefontaine, Willamette Valley Vineyards (Oregon)
Boston’s Pinot in the City event held Thursday, May 2 at The Castle at the Park Plaza hotel was a spectacular smash. Sixty wine producers from Oregon’s Willamette Valley shared their world-class Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay at a magnificent tasting. I couldn’t get to every booth in my three hours of tasting, […]
Goldschmidt Vineyards measures up on Cabernet Sauvignon
Whether Nick Goldschmidt is making a $10 Malbec in Argentina or a $100 Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, the wine promises to be luscious, flavorful and silky. It’s a mark of consistency for a winemaker in demand in seven different countries and who also crafts his own labels in California, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. […]
Toast Mother Earth at The Groton Inn’s organic wine event
Now here’s a novel way to celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22. Head down to The Groton Inn’s Forge & Vine restaurant for its special promotion on biodynamic varietals and organic wines. That’s right: plant a tree in the morning and then drink some very unique wines from sustainable farming wineries located in Italy, France […]
Expert presentation: A feast of 24 Easter wine suggestions
This blog’s sixth annual Easter wine list is diverse and vivacious, thanks to a knowledgeable and passionate group of experts who’ve forwarded 24 recommendations for your holiday table. All listed wines are available locally or online. (See Jim Campanini’s selections at: https://thewinenovice.com/jims-easter-picks-six-wines-for-the-senses/) A bottle of wine turns a simple meal into a feast, so pairing a […]
Jim’s Easter picks: Six wines for the senses
Smell the wine, sip it and savor it. Let your Easter wine(s) feel the love. Enjoy the holiday, my friends, and drink responsibly. Here are my suggestions for Easter dinner. (Tip: I’ll be pairing a white or rose` as a starter to be followed with a red for the main course.) Gratien & Meyer Cremant […]
La Tunella Friulano: It does more than ‘sleep’ with the fishes
The Wine Goddess, my wife Mary Lee, handed me a challenge: Select a white wine she had never tasted before to pair with her special dish of mussels, shrimp and linguini in a white clam sauce (no garlic). I smacked my lips and headed to the wine laboratory – better known as my basement fridge […]
Get ready to rumble with volcanic wines of southern Italy
What makes the volcanic wines of southern Italy so exciting? That will be the focus of my April 11 adult education seminar at Middlesex Community College’s Nesmith House in Lowell, from 7-9 p.m. Participants will taste up to seven wines – white and red – and pair them with regional cuisine. They’ll be able […]
I tried drinking wine out of a can. I failed. But taste’s not bad.
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. […]
