Sicily, Part II The Gambino winery sits in the shadows of Mount Etna near Linguaglossa, its terraced vineyards sloping toward the ring of towns that circle the still active volcano. The high altitude, tufarous soils are home to a range of indigenous varietals that thrive there and in other...

The most complex Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand I have tasted professionally. Asian Pear, Grapefruit, Pineapple, and Guava blend seamlessly on the palate with the complexity threading through the entire experience. Superb.

As promised, some more of the interesting wines Icame across the last two months. Tenuta Roveglio 2008 Lugana…Trebbiano is one of the more maligned Italian varietals, sometimes deservedly so. But when done right, such as this Trebbiano di Soave branch of the family tree, it can be crisp,...

All I can say, folks is that WE ROCK! After months of preparation, we debuted our very first super-humongous-extra-special-deluxe wine show.  By all accounts, it was a huge success. Which is good, because I would have been extra-grumpy for MONTHS if it had tanked. From October 17 – 19,...

There’s no denying one of Pinot’s hallmarks — and the reason many of us love it so — is its discernible funk on the nose.  Barnyard stank, dung, smokey bacon, etc., charm us by wrapping with rose petals and fresh ripe cherries to create a delicate and earthy headiness...

We first sampled a different vintage of this wine at a charming restaurant in Priorat during our 2008 school trip to the region. Since then, we’ve been loyal fans of this spectacularly priced Priorat ($15.99!) that offers all the minerality you’d expect from the region alongside a...

    That’s right!  It’s that time of year again – the third Thursday of November – when the 2008 Beaujolais Nouveaus are released.  The first French wines to be released for each vintage year, these wines are supposed to be drunk young, while still at their...

Sicily, Part I A recent trip to Persephone’s island afforded the opportunity to taste dozens of wines made from indigenous varietals, all of which captured the sun drenched, arid landscape of Sicily, and gave evidence of the cultural and enological diversity to be found there. Chiara...

This is typically the time of year when we all engage in a bit of reflection: What we did right over the course of the past year, what we could have done better, and how we plan on making the most of the coming year. And if there’s one thing most of us can improve on in 2008, it’s...

A fire-etched riesling from one of the great Mosel vineyards. Lovely, but it could use a year or so more in the bottle to even out.

For many of us, Southern France springs to mind when thoughts turn to rosé. And Guigal, one of the most reliable producers in the Rhone Valley, comes through with flying tri-colors with this bottling. Perfect with everything from bouillabaisse to hot dogs…or even on its own!

We finally got it! We are now, officially, the “Best Place to Fall in Love” with wine and food. We knew that already, but gosh darn it, this makes me happier than a squirrel in a nut shop. So happy, in fact, that my craptacular cynicism had devolved into sentimental goofiness. Oh...