The beloved ancient grape variety of Italy’s Piemonte region is none other than Nebbiolo. Once thought to be named after the early morning autumn fog that forms in the vineyards of the Langhe, it is now believed to be named after the ghostly white Nebbia (Italian for fog) that veils the skins of this noble […]
Within the wine industry, wine critics have the essential role of reviewing wines and giving each wine a score or rating. Through years of extensive tastings, they train and refine their palettes to discern every nuance of a wine’s mouthfeel, aroma, complexity, and balance – or lack thereof! But more importantly, they possess the keen […]
Today, we bring to you: The Southern Hospitality Cellar. Consummately congenial and consistently demonstrating the utmost generosity towards their guests, true Southern hosts go out of their way to make friends and acquaintances feel special, appreciated, and honored. This cellar comes from a couple in the hospitality business in the deep south, so it is no […]
With kids back in school, end-of-season sales on, and Friday night football in full swing, Labor Day merits a party to mark the last hoorah of summer. It’s time to host an outdoor picnic or bar-b-que with some harvest bounties that turn every September into a celebration of nature’s miraculous abundance. Nothing could be more […]
If you love the layered complexity of flavors of porcini, blueberries, black pepper, lavender, smokey garrigue, and olives, all firmly balanced within a velvety tannic structure – then you love Syrah! The world’s reigning masters of Syrah are the Guigal family of the Rhone Valley. Since 1946, three generations of the Guigal winemaking family have […]
One of Napoleon III’s greatest legacies was the creation of the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. Wanting to demonstrate the superiority of France’s top-ranked Bordeaux wines at the Exposition Universelle de Paris, he established the formal ranking of Bordeaux’s Chateau wineries. Only four chateaux were initially chosen. Since the vineyards of Mouton Rothschild were owned by […]
Napa Valley is surrounded by the ancient volcanic peaks of Howell Mountain, Mt Veeder, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, and the tallest of them all – Atlas Peak. Along their hillsides, perched above the fog line, are the famed mountain vineyards of Napa. Here, the vines grow in a mix of white volcanic ash and brick-red […]
Thanksgiving is a celebration of the bounties of harvest wrought by farmers. Growing up a farmer’s daughter here in California, I understand the love of the soil, rain, sunlight’s warmth, and the fruited plain. For vineyard farmers, each season presents unique challenges equal to the splendors. It is with this sentiment that we pay homage […]
In the Italian culture of wine and food, tradition typically reigns supreme. Each region of Italy prides itself on long-established wine production methods utilizing the indigenous grape varieties distinctive to each terroir. This changed in Tuscany in the 1970s when an adventurous group of frustrated winemakers decided to revolutionize their winemaking. They broke with all […]
Patience, forethought, and hope. . . these are the attributes most needed when purchasing recent vintages of the Premier Cru wines of Burgundy. Patience is needed if you are going to drink the wines in the future, as these wines can take up to 30 years to develop fully. Forethought is the planning that it […]