Exploring Italian Wine One Grape at a Time
The Chianti Classico Collection 2023 just took place a month ago, and the Chianti Classico consortium was on a roll. It was a well-attended Anteprima (preview tasting) after the reduced events during the last three years due to the pandemic, and the good mood was on top. In an article on the blog of Fattoria … Read more
Alta Campania or more specifically the Alto Casertano is an up-and-coming and buzzing wine area in Campania, even though it is a district with a long winemaking tradition. Viticulture and winemaking in the area date at least to the Etruscan period, then it flourished during the Roman era, and Pallagrello wine would become the favorite … Read more
Vallepicciola is an estate located in the Castelnuovo Berdardenga area not far from Siena, on the rolling hills of Tuscany. When we talk about Castelnuovo Berdardenga, it generally, brings our minds to Chianti Classico as it is the southernmost subzone – UGA – of the Chianti Classico appellation. In mid-January, Vallepicciola invited us to an … Read more
The Daunia area in Northern Puglia, from around Barletta to Castel del Monte and the Gargano, is the land of Nero di Troia. This is a grape that has had an important development during the last 20-30 years in Puglia. It was historically mainly used in blends but has since the early 2000s become a … Read more
Ciliegiolo is a grape variety with magic greatness native to Maremma in southern Tuscany and central Italy but it is cultivated in several Italian regions. Ian D’Agatha defines it as “…one of the country’s greatest but most underappreciated grape varieties.” This is because it produces vertical wines with “pure aromas and flavors.” It is indeed … Read more
November and December are always the months when all the wine lists from various wine publications, wine bloggers, and wine influencers come out. The Top 100, Top 50, Top 10, his or her’s comments on this or that Top list, and on it goes. An endless line of Top this or Best that, the list … Read more
The southern parts of Sweden – mainly Skåne – are considered to be the new frontier for the future of winemaking as the climate changes. Recently, I got an article published in the American online wine magazine The Vintner Project where I talk about The Swedish vintner and winemaker Percy Månsson of Domän Sånana. He … Read more
The 9th edition of Wine2Wine took place in Verona at the beginning of November this year. It was a live event all through this time, there was no virtual part as during the pandemic years. Wine2Wine is a yearly event organized by Vinitaly International to help the Italian wine world learn more about the latest … Read more
Thanksgiving and wine go together as the occasion to open up and try new or familiar labels with friends and family. But for those who only celebrate Thanksgiving occasionally with American friends, what is Thanksgiving really about? In brief, the Thanksgiving weekend is coming up next week in the US and in many locations in … Read more
Chianti lies at the heart of the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group’s theme this month, more precisely it’s a Cavalcade of Chianti wines. Using Chianti as a theme, of course, opens up choosing both Chianti DOCG and Chianti Classico DOCG wines, but at the same time, it also creates a bit of confusion for … Read more