Easter and Passover are upon us, even in this most uncertain of times, so adding some sweetness to our lives might just provide a much-needed lift this week. (Or anytime, really.) Chocolate is often part of the holiday mix, as are other sweets, and wine is certainly always on the
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
I still remember my first Sagrantino wine. It was a relatively rare Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito. And I found it to be a very tannic sweet red wine -- hard to drink for someone who was used to the gentle silkiness of my native Recioto della Valpolicella. Fast forward a
“What’s for dinner?” asks my wife, as she’s wont to do. “Lentils,” I reply. Though she attempts to hide it, I can see in her eyes she’s crestfallen. “With sausage,” I add hastily. Later, though, at the table, she’s eating heartily. I cautiously request a verdict. “Much better than I
Recently I visited Italy’s Marche region for the first time. The landscape in this tiny, unheralded area of the boot is astounding. To the west, the steeper eastern slopes of the Apennines bear down, while the gentle Adriatic eclipses the horizon to the east. Upon rounding each hair-raising turn on
I was surfing aimlessly through Facebook, just like any other day, when a particular image caught my eye... for, well, obvious reasons, once you see it below. It appeared to be called "porcaccia," which, although I was unfamiliar with the word (and Facebook was unable to translate correctly), must have,
Upon receiving the itinerary for our wine tour of Montefalco, the following entry immediately jumps out: 12:00 - Visit, tasting, and light lunch at winery Scacciadiavoli. Light lunch? In Umbria? Though my skepticism runs rampant, I’m intrigued to discover what might await us. In anticipation, we breakfast in traditional Italian
In Montefalco, they’re bringing Sagrantino back and creating a new “must see” wine country. Ah, Tuscany... storied land of rooms with views, Florentine frescoes and home of the wine that Hannibal Lecter likes to pair with liver. But did you know that right next door in Umbria you get the