On a recent trip to California’s premier wine destination, it occurred to me that Napa Valley is like Disneyland for wine lovers. You can cruise up and down Highway 29 and see all of your favorite rides; Mondavi, Rudd, Heitz, Grigich, Corison, just to name a few. And everywhere you look, there is a sea of Cabernet Sauvignon grape vines. On the valley floor, on the hillsides and even on the mountain tops. After a while, it gets harder and harder to discern one rollercoaster cabernet wine from the next.
A few months ago, there was snow everywhere. My arrival home each evening was announced with a loud “crunch, crunch, crunch” as attempted to maintain my balance on our icy sidewalk. On several occasions, I was pelted by hailstones while I was walking the dogs or simply shoveling snow. It was an assault by Mother Nature herself. But now, winter is in full retreat and spring is finally beginning to, well, spring.
Easter Sunday is usually a day that begins with an egg hunt for the kids and ends with a wine hunt for the adults. Searching for the right wine to serve with Easter dinner can make you as crazy as forgetting where you hid the last Easter egg – until the smell reminds you a week or so later.
I like to think of Passover as the Jewish version of Thanksgiving. Families and friends gather together to tell stories and eat a traditional meal, called the “Seder”. But there are a couple of small, intsy weensy differences.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one Italy’s classic red wines, and has unquestionably helped Tuscany retain its privileged place on the wine map. It comes from the vineyards which surround Montepulciano, a picturesque hill town 25 miles southeast of Siena, and about an hour south of Florence. It is the southernmost end of the Tuscany region.
Chardonnay is one of the most ubiquitous wine grapes in the world. Many wine consumers are aware of offerings from America (particularly Napa, Sonoma and Central Coast), Australia and Chile. These specimens tend to be ripe and full-bodied, even buttery, featuring vanilla notes from oak aging. Some may even ditch the oak aging for a fresher, more fruit centric version.
The first thing you notice about Luca Bosio is how young he looks. Of course, I thought it was owning mostly to how old I am – at my age, everyone looks young. But Luca looks too young to be a third generation winemaker… until I found out that he attended one of five “wine high schools” in Italy that trains and educates children from winemaking families, beginning at a very young age.
This Valentine’s Day, there is no better wine to celebrate new love with – or the love you already share with someone – than with a bottle of bubbly. But not just any sparkling wine. For the day named in honor of a young Roman priest, Valentine of Rome, who was martyred for secretly preforming wedding ceremonies during a ban in AD 269, one should chose a special wine that adds color as well as style for this year’s day of love. Sparkling rosé wines are just what Cupid ordered.
Given the age-old tradition of giving heart shaped boxes of chocolate to your loved one on February 14th, let’s talk about how wine and chocolate, if done correctly, can be as complimentary to each other as Superman and Lois, Romeo and Juliet, or Homer and Marge.Gallery
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