Palate Press

4 min read

Many wine drinkers have experienced this at least once in our lives: We go to a nice region, visit one or more wineries, and taste several wines. At a certain point, simply, we feel good: the place is lovely, the view looks perfect, the company is pleasant. And the wine

The Annual Amarone Tastings: Who Was There, Who Was Not, and Why

Elisabetta Tosi

Feature Stories

4 min read

For true wine lovers, appreciating the rich, decadent Amarone della Valpolicella is almost a given (despite W. Blake Gray's opinion). In fact, 11% of all the Amarone sold abroad ends up in American wine glasses. Concentrated and wonderful, long-aged and long-lived, Amarone is created in Italy’s Veneto region by intensifying

Discoveries: Tasting Newly-Made Wines from the Past

Becky Sue Epstein

Feature Stories

4 min read

Every so often, someone digs up an ancient clay amphora with grape residue and we all hold our breaths, waiting for scientists to try to re-create the wine stored inside 8,000 years ago. Occasionally it even works, and we’re thrilled we could be tasting the same wine that Biblical-era peoples

Breaking: Wine Writer Prefers Cheapest Wine over Greatest

W. Blake Gray

Feature Stories

3 min read

I went to Valpolicella to learn about the region's most expensive, highly regarded wine: Amarone. Made from dried grapes, this wine is hotter than ever and the Italian press now gathers annually to taste new Amarone releases. I tagged along, hoping to discover what I have been missing. Instead, I

What We’re Drinking – 2012 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

Becky Sue Epstein

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Why do I let so much time elapse between bottles of Amarone? This is an extra-rich, extra-layered wine because it’s made from grapes that are dried for months, concentrating the flavor and adding a sweet, dried-cherry tone to the aromas and flavors. The Tommasi wine is classic, beginning with a

Barbecue Wines for the Fall

Becky Sue Epstein

Wine Reviews

1 min read

Three very reasonably priced wines make for great pairings with cool weather Fall barbecues. Each of the wines offers slightly more depth and complexity than you might expect at this price range afer a few years of bottle age. 2013 Bodegas Aletta Garnacha, Campo de Borja DO Old vines grown

Three secrets of a great wine: an interview with Federico Giotto

Elisabetta Tosi

Feature Stories

5 min read

Hurdles, knowledge, thought. These sound like parts of a philosophical theory, or features of a poem. Yet Federico Giotto is not a poet or philosopher…or should I say he is? You decide, after reading this interview. To begin, I will only say that Federico is a young, renowned Italian winemaker

Prosecco risotto: A unique pairing from Conegliano

Mary Cressler

Features

6 min read

I’m not a trinket person. I don’t spend much time in gift shops looking for souvenirs to bring home. While bottles of wine purchased in a region can bring back great memories, once they’re gone they’re gone. For me, one way to preserve the memory of a trip is learning

Wine

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Random

2008 Ranga Ranga Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough, New Zealand

Spirits

Why Low-Alcoholic Wine May Be Increasing & An Adult Beverage Option; Even No-Alc can be Tasty

A Dog, a Mountain Hike and Gin

A Life-Saving Whiskey of Forests and Caramel

Random

Going clear: Appreciating vodka

Travel

Wine Country Hospitality in Amador County

Why is Arianna Occhipinti a Winemaking Legend?

Top of the Mark Lounge in San Francisco Celebrates 85 years

Random

Meet Temecula Valley—a rising wine destination

Hospitality

Wine Country Hospitality in Amador County

Top of the Mark Lounge in San Francisco Celebrates 85 years

Women Chefs Seed Plant Forward Dining at The Grove in Napa

Random

The Bounty of the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood

Emotional Intelligence

The Annual Amarone Tastings: Who Was There, Who Was Not, and Why

Discoveries: Tasting Newly-Made Wines from the Past

Breaking: Wine Writer Prefers Cheapest Wine over Greatest

What We’re Drinking – 2012 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

Barbecue Wines for the Fall

Three secrets of a great wine: an interview with Federico Giotto

Prosecco risotto: A unique pairing from Conegliano