There’ll be one less one wine glass on the Easter dinner table this year. My mother, Dorothy May (Fuscellaro) Campanini, passed away during the final week of January. She would have turned 97 on March 15. The architect — and cook — of every family celebration and holiday meal for 70 consecutive years — mom’s […]
White Wines
Easter wines? Experts make their selections
If you’re looking for Easter wine selections, here are 19 to consider from my team of local experts. Buy local and enjoy! Andrea DiFiore, Andover Classic Wines • Vietti Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne, $19.99 — The Tre Vigne Barbera has a gorgeous ruby-purple color with ripe red cherry aromas followed by hints of mineral and […]
Unique grapes that yield stunning new wines
I consider spring a time of rebirth for lots of things, including my palate. Searching out exciting new wines is a favorite past-time, especially those made from unfamiliar grapes and innovative winemakers. Here are three discoveries to put on your white wine list. • Zymé From Black to White, Veneto 2014, $19.99 — Celestino Gaspari […]
Domaine Drouhin wines thriving in Burgundy, Oregon
Can “New World” Oregon wines match the quality of “Old World” Burgundy wines? For Veronique Drouhin, the winemaker for Domaine Joseph Drouhin’s global operations here and in France, the answer isn’t complicated. It’s not a competition of Burgundy vs. Oregon, she says. Instead, it’s bringing out the best of two uniquely different terroirs located a […]
Four wines to jump-start the new year
OK, let’s all take a sip of Prosecco, refresh the palate and get ready for a great 2016 wine adventure. Seven days into the new year, I’ve already sampled two reds and two whites for my personal Wine Log. But first … looking back on the pages from 2015, I had the good fortune, along […]
'Racy' Rieslings for the holidays and beyond
Why Riesling for Christmas and the holidays? “It’s such a versatile, satisfying wine. It goes well with all foods. It’s refreshing on the palate,” says Lazarus Guisso, a self-described “amateur de vin” (wine lover) with a sommelier’s knowledge of all things vino fino. A week ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Guisso, who is […]
Wine clubs: What's the value in joining?
Dunham Cellars wine-tasting room in Walla Walla. What’s the advantage of joining a wine club? Several people have asked me that question and I’ve never had a good answer — until now. You should join a wine club if you like the wine, it is unique and only available through the club, and it fits […]
When you Pinot, do you Grigio or Gris?
Why would you favor drinking a Pinot Grigio from America as opposed to one from Italy? Key factors should be quality, taste, and price. Some Americans grab the cheapest bottle on the shelf, believing it’s all the same. It’s not. While the Pinot Grigio grape is widely planted throughout the world, its best flavor profile […]
UTEC's Italian benefit was a night in good taste
When you open the evening with a sparkling, dry Prosecco and close it with a silky Chianti Classico, you have two key ingredients for una magnifica festa d’Italia (a magificent Italian feast). And so it was recently at Café UTEC (United Teed Equality Center) in downtown Lowell where Chef Sam Putnam, his culinary staff of […]
There's nothing tragic about soave
When I taste Italy’s Soave wine, the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet comes to mind. Not because there is anything tragic about drinking Soave; in fact, it’s just the opposite. Soave is a white wine, made from the Garganega grape. It is a clean, light- to medium-bodied white wine that comes from one […]
