Perched in the Northeastern corner of Spain, Cariñena’s vineyards cannot be summarized neatly. This Spanish wine region's terroir comes not only from the soil and climate in which the grapes are grown, but also the rich, incredibly diverse culture and history of the region. The grape -- also Cariñena, known
Even in Tuscany, sometimes you’ll get a great young, fresh wine, and sometimes the older vintages and reserve wines are better. Montecucco is a relatively new denominated region in southern Tuscany which has produced DOC-level wines in its area since 1998. Later, Montecucco Sangiovese was awarded a separate DOCG status,
The pretense for sending out samples of the 2018 Crios vintage, at least from the PR folks who represent them, is a newly designed label. Funnily enough, I actually liked the old one - it was bold, unique, and always stood out on the shelf. Now that I’ve seen the
This is part II of our series on Timorasso. Read part I. Claudio Mariotto smiles impishly as he pours a wine named L’Imbevibile—Undrinkable. It’s anything but. Fermented in amphora for 30 days on the skins, this intense, apricot and honey–inflected wine is one of the many experiments seen at the
Walter Massa would be the first to admit that timorasso is a vexing troublemaker. “It’s a difficult grape that produces badly,” he says in Italian. “I’m not saying little, I’m saying badly, which is different.” This coming from the mouth of the man who single-handedly rescued the grape from oblivion
This is a fascinating dry wine made on the astonishingly beautiful Aeolian Islands, just north of Sicily (which are known mostly for their sweet passito wines). 60% Malvasia di Lipari and 40% Carricante, vines are grown using the Alberello technique, an ancient method each vine is staked to grow by
If you are like me, secretly crossing your fingers and hoping for a taste of Burgundy when you sip California pinot noirs, you will be rewarded here. Sip lightly for the first few minutes until the wine opens up in the glass and more red berry aromas blossom on the
With streaks of buttery vanilla and a lip-smacking citric finish, this is not your everyday California Chardonnay. Part was fermented in oak and part in stainless steel, which gives the wine a little more restraint. It’s not overblown with fruit and the acidity begs for food, so serve it with