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News, Reviews October 14, 2013

Grape Expectations – Eight Wines that Pair With Summer and Fall.

Ok, first-things-first, I didn’t write the title for this article. “Grape Expectations” is way beyond my reaches of my creativity. Secondly; I wrote this article a couple of months ago for the Jacksonville Magazine “Taste” Edition…and I know we’re out of Summer now….but I think it still has relevance…since the weather here is Florida is so bloody-warm well into November! 4 Summer Wines Taltarni “Tache,” Brut Sparkling, Australia Description The term Tache (meaning “stained” in…

Reviews December 29, 2012

Marchetti Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico, Marches, Italy.

Grapes 100% Verdicchio Facts Pronunciation time! Verdicchio: [Vair-dee-kee-oh] Dei Castelli Di Jesi: [Day kah-stay-lee dee jeh-see] Phew! It’s a tough one! You almost need a glass of wine after saying all that! So what do we have right here? Well, apart from being a tiny-nightmare to pronounce, Verdicchio is probably most easily compared to Pinot Grigio, only with a little-more body The name Verdicchio comes to us in part by the Italian word for…

Reviews November 12, 2012

Saladini Pilastri “Vigna Monteprandone," Rosso Piceno Superiore, Marches, Italy.

Grapes 70% Montepulciano, 30% Sangiovese. Facts “Excuse me…yes, hello! This is my first time in your wine store and I was wondering if you could help me. I read this review online today written by this delightful Englishman and I was hoping you know it. The wine is: Saladini Pilastri ‘Vigna Monteprandone,’ Rosso Piceno Superiore from Marches, Italy. Do you have it?” The name of this wine doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, now…

Reviews October 18, 2012

Barba Vignafranca Montepulciano, Abruzzo, Italy.

Grapes 100% Montepulciano [Mawn-teh-pool-CHA-noh] I personally always make the point of pronouncing it in as ridiculously strong of an Italian accent as possible, with plenty of hand gestures (no matter where I am): Montepulciano!!! Facts The first question I always end up answering about Montepulciano (as a grape) is: “What is it most similar to?” The best way I’ve found to describe Montepulciano is almost as a cross between Merlot and Chianti. The body…

News September 6, 2012

Did Italian Wine Jump the Shark with its Wine Purse?

I have to admit that I didn’t even want to write this post, but it seems to keep getting blasted at me from every angle on the Interweb (I guess the PR company must has really been hammering-out the samples on this one!), so find myself in the position of being forced to share my two cents… Volere (pictured below) is a boxed-wine like any other box wine, except for the minor detail that the…

Facts August 24, 2012

Mount Vesuvius.

Reviews June 14, 2012

Passitivo Primitivo, Puglia, Italy.

Grapes 100% Primitivo (aka Zinfandel) Facts First-things-first, I think the best idea that brands such as Layer Cake, ever did when marketing their own Primitivo was to put “AKA Zinfandel” on the front label. No-one knows what Primitivo is (at least the vast majority of consumers don’t), and as much resistance as I’m sure Italian winemakers have to it, it would behoove them to follow this example! This is the part where I usually…

Pairings June 7, 2012

Orange-Glazed Chicken Wings Paired with Batasiolo Gavi, Piedmont, Italy.

Gavi and chicken wings….a match made in….ermmmmmm…..some alternate universe….where people do those kinds of pairings… Always one to defy convention, these fancy-schmancy chicken wings are perfect as a quick and easy meal, or for a party. The orange may sound kind of unusual….but trust me on this one! They’re pretty awesome! If you’re attempting this recipe (because you should, as it’s one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever posted), don’t be tempted to just buy…

Reviews April 11, 2012

Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, Veneto, Italy.

Grapes 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Sangiovese Facts Oh sure, I’d like to drink Amarone every day! But with what I consider a “decent” bottle starting at $50, and going swiftly upwards from there, my current budget just doesn’t permit those kind of extravagances. Side-note: I may get a part-time job… So, if you’re in the same position as me (financially that is), Allegrini might have the perfect answer for Amarone-addiction you with their…

News April 4, 2012

Gallo Adds Brancaia to Portfolio.

News article taken from Shanken News Daily A little-known small family-owned winery in California (you probably haven’t even heard of them) E&J Gallo has confirmed they’ve added Tuscany’s Brancaia label to their portfolio. The label was formally part of the Hess Collection.The Brancaia portfolio includes Brancaia Tre, a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; Brancaia Chianti Classico; Brancaia Ilatraia, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petite Verdot; and Brancaia Il Blu, a blend of…

News February 18, 2012

Chateau Drew Barrymore.

Drew Barrymore is the latest celeb that has entered the wine business. Wilson Daniels Ltd. has been named the U.S. importer for Barrymore Wines. Drew’s first offering is a Pinot Grigio from Italy. Barrymore Pinot Grigio is an IGT Delle Venezie, made from grapes grown the Triveneto area, comprised of three of Italy’s most northern regions: Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto—regions renowned for producing crisp and fruity white wines. The Barrymore label…

Reviews February 2, 2012

Luigi Righetti “Capitel de Roari” Amarone, Valpolicella, Italy, 2008

Grape Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara (%’s unknown) Facts I’m turbo-passionate about Amarone, and if I could afford to drink it every day, I promise you I would! Amarone is stylistically very different than anything else Italy puts out, and is the king of wines from North-Eastern Italy. If you’re basing your opinion of Italian wine solely on Chianti, make sure you keep reading… The Luigi Righetti winery is family owned and operated, and has been…