Italy has been making wine for a very, very long time. There is evidence that Etruscan and Greek explorers cultivated wine grapes as far back as the 5th century BC. But it was the Romans who, three hundred years later, developed a widespread winemaking industry and introduced advanced techniques, such as barrel fermentation and bottling.
While the June 21st solstice may mark the official start of summer, Memorial Day kicks off the psychological beginning of the season.
And while we’re no longer a slave to fashion and restricted to wearing just white shorts, white pants or white dresses after Memorial Day, neither are we forced to drink just white wines once Monday comes along.
If you’re interested in acquiring some of the best wines in the world, you might be interested to know that the least expensive way to buy them is to buy them before they’re even available. Now this may be a bit counterintuitive, but buying French Bordeaux wines “on future,” before they hit the traditional retail market, is a surefire way to make sure that you get the wines you want at a price below the “future” cost.
For those of you rushing out to grab a card for the mom in your life, you have Anna Jarvis to thank. She is credited with initiating a Mother’s Day-like event in the early 1900’s. In 1914, the U.S. Congress – not wasting a chance to suck up to moms everywhere – passed a joint resolution making it an official “Day.” So, with the much anticipated approach of Mother’s Day and the onset of summer, here are a few fun wines that are perfect for giving mom this Sunday as well as sipping all season long.
Spring has sprung in Washington, and that means that summer is not far behind. It’s time for the ritual of slimming down, trimming up and getting in a white wine frame of mind. And while your trimming up your body, you might as well trim up your wine collection with delicious and affordable wines from one of the oldest families in the business; Trimbach.
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.
Fifteen years ago, I unwittingly started a small wine tasting for charity that has now grown into one of the most prestigious wine tasting/fund raising events in the Mid-Atlantic region. Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting & Auction, now in its 16th year, is a four-night affair in Washington, DC that attracts high-end wine connoisseurs and epicureans from across the United States and provides its guests with the ideal combination of exceptional wine and incredible food. And while everyone definitely has a great time, I am very proud that the event raises awareness and money for the American Heart Association’s fight against heart disease and stroke.
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.
