Anyone who has followed my wine writing, even casually, will know that obscurity is my passion. The weirder, the better. I recently, for example, wrote a book about a winemaking area of Pennsylvania that thrived in the 1800s. And about a year ago, here on PP, I covered my favorite
A wine that was accurately described as “bold” by the tasters with me that evening. This wine is fruitier than some other red wines from Piedmont – even other Ruchè wines-- with more wood notes appearing as baking spices and vanilla, within the overall hearty wine. It has a big
A light red wine that's easy to drink -- and a little different from anything you might have tried before. Though the winemaker calls this a casual wine, I found it to be elegant as well. There’s a beautiful, well-defined cherry and garrigue aroma. On the palate it’s fresh, with
Piedmont's other red grape comes onto the world market with a new, colorful cast of winemaking characters. This is the first in a two-part series on Ruchè this week on Palate Press. For lovers of obscure wine finds, the sleepy little town Italian town of Grana might be the next destination
In this series, we take a look at three of Piedmont’s most fascinating and diverse wine regions by exploring what this historic and traditional corner of the wine world looks like today, and highlighting some of the off-the-beaten-track producers quietly shaping the region’s future. In this, the second part of
It started with Barolo. It was the first wine that made clear to me not only the sociological, cultural and historical relevance of wine—the way it can teach us about the humanity of a place and time—but also the way it helps us understand, in a simple, profound way our
On November 5, 2011, 120 or so wine professionals and wine lovers, as well as the wine curious, gathered in the home of Palate Press Publisher David Honig for the Third Annual Palate Press grand tasting. There were more than 230 different wines from around the world on eight different
Light, translucent ruby in color. Strawberries dominate on the nose. Strawberries and rhubarb are on the palate, tart, clean, and brightly acidic. Fennel pops on the mid-palate. Tannins are light and very fine. This is a bright food wine, one to provide counter-balance to rich cheeses and light meats. Drink