In his book, ‘Making Sense of Wine,” writer Matt Kramer demolished many of the myths which surround wine, ideas that have a long tradition and which most of us still observe. If you can find a copy of this valuable book first published in the late eighties, get it. The information there will make you
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From the Marche along the eastern coast of Italy, bordering the Adriadic sea, lies the city of Osimo and the Umani Ronchi Winery. The best way to picture it is the “upper calf” of the Italian boot. This winery, year after year produces fine, fairly priced reds and whites. This single-vineyard Verdicchio varietal wine is
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Man I love this kind of wine. Forward, intense, mouth filling, playful and affordable. Perfect for the fare of the Holiday season to come. Aromas of very sweet fruit, almost candied leaning toward apricot, tropical fruit, violets and candied pear. In the mouth an abundance of intense pear, dried flowers and rounding out with a
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It may seem paradoxical that Tuscany, a region once stifled by viticultural traditions dating back three millennia to the Etruscans, is today acclaimed by wine aficionados around the world for the revolutionary reds known as “Super Tuscans.” That term came into use among English-speaking writers in the 1980s in reference to wines devoid of official
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Aperitifs – Aperitifs, or appetizer wines, are generally served before meals. Champagne and sherries are traditional aperitifs, and light white wine is also appropriate. Barbera – Barbera is a red wine grape found primarily in Italy’s Piedmont region. It produces bright, crisp wines with deep ruby colors, full body and low tannin levels.
The reputation Pinot Noir suffers for its fickle behavior has supported the prevailing wisdom among winemakers that deprivation in the vineyard followed by gentleness in the cellar results in a delicate, well-balanced wine. Acacia respects these Burgundian traditions but diverges from the Old-World techniques. The fact that we grow grapes in California’s ideal climate means
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In the March/April 2001 issue of the Chalone Wine Journal, Winemaker Dan Karlsen presented a comprehensive explanation of the abstract concept of terroir, using Chalone Vineyard as an intimate and concrete example to elucidate the complexity of the concept. If we were to coin a word today for terroir, it might be ecology.
Once, not too long ago, young Americans enjoyed gazing on the ample and very visible bosom of the White Rock lady, a curvaceous nymph on a soda bottle. Alas, they’ve painted her over. But for sheer sexiness today, it would be hard to outdo current beer labels. Some are works of art, primarily by Belgian
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With its black-garnet color and tightly wound nose of black licorice and dark cherry this wine instantly shows huge potential. With some coaxing you get hints chocolate and plum in the mix. Liquid chocolate cake comes to mind after a mouthful of the wine settles on the palate. Rich in bitter chocolate, black cherries and
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