I’ve been slacking on the new posts for the past week, as I’ve been regrouping after the Wine Blogger’s Conference. But finally, yesterday I pulled together some wines I had in the tasting queue and did a blind tasting with a number of Pinot Grigio wines. Over the next few posts, I’ll share those reviews […]
At times I’ve heard some wine lovers contemplate their preferences between old world and new world wines. Personally, there are things I like about both. Each style can be enjoyable in its own way. But what if you could get the best of both worlds in one wine? That’s the idea with Mazzoni, a Super […]
Brand licensing is a big business in some lines of products, such as clothing and toys, but I haven’t seen much of it in the wine world. I was curious when I heard about Sopranos wines: Is it pure marketing shtick or is there some substance to the wines? The folks that produce Sopranos wines […]
Once each month, wine bloggers around the world all write about a common theme. It happens on a Wednesday and is called Wine Blogging Wednesday. Today is the 54th installment of this event and the theme is “A Passion for Piedmont” (i.e. wines from the Piedmont region in Italy). Dozens of bloggers will write up […]
Why would I be having wine for breakfast? A. Because I can B. Because it’s the best beverage to pair with the dish I had for breakfast C. Because it’s Wine Blogging Wednesday and that’s the theme D. All of the above The answer, of course, is D. All of the above. OK… so I […]
Say it with me: mon-tuh-pul-CHEE-an-no dah BROOT-zo. It’s one of my favorite Italian wines and not just because it’s fun to say. It’s a very approachable Italian country wine that is often overlooked. Yet it is very enjoyable and can have as much complexity as more popular varietals. It’s much less acidic than many other […]
Rubiro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is (from what I can tell) a second label from Villa Cervia where oenologist Rino Moretti has been producing wine since 1989. This would be a good choice if you want a red wine that’s not too aggressive. It’s approachable and soft in every way, making it easy to pair with a variety […]
I’ll keep this one relatively short as there’s not much to get excited about. This review adds fodder to my “there’s better places to shop for wine than Trader Joe’s” rant. Yep, it’s another wine from Trader Joe’s that rates less than 80. The fruit is soft in this one. It has a little leather […]
Azienda Agricola Masciarelli operates 13 estates across Abruzzo totaling about 300 hectares with lots of Montepulciano vines, plus other varietals such as Trebbiano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cococciola and one hectare of Falaghina. They also have olive groves on many of their estates and are well known for their olive oil sold under the Cvetic […]
La Valentina is a much younger producer than many of the others I’ve tasted for this series, but they produce a classic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. They were established in 1990 and currently manage over 40 hectares. They have two vineyards in Abruzzo and the grapes for this label are from the San Valentino vineyard, about 20km from Maiella mountain […]
