“It’ll be just like Hell today, but with more humidity,” joked the radio weatherman. I believed him; it was one of those brutal summer weeks in the low country – near Charleston, SC – where not only did the mercury-read more- Read More
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 Read More
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 Read More
Even in a wine world where context is king, Donnafugata’s complex sweet wine called Ben Ryé - the product of air-dried Zibbibo (Muscat) grapes - stands out as uniquely tied to its place of origin. Second generation winegrowers Antonio and José Rallo, who helm the Sicilian winery, describe its production Read More
“Volcanic wine” is an important new subset of vital wines. Grapevines grown on volcanic soils can impart more complexity to many aspects of the finished wines, from aromas and flavors to structure and overall quality. This red wine is from one of the new, well-known volcanic wine growing regions in Read More
With vineyards located inside a World Wildlife Preserve in Sicily, Gorghi Tondi’s owners are focused on sustainable and organic agriculture. Even the "cork" is 100% recyclable: Nomacorc's zero carbon footprint line, made from sugar cane. These grapes are grown around Lake Preola, very close to the Mediterranean coast in Western Read More
Cherries, cloves, black licorice, and chocolate all dance around a lively spine with grippy tannins. This is a bright and clean as you can hope to find in a red wine. Drink with braciole. Highly Recommended. 92 points. DBH WHO: Donnafugata WHAT: Nero d'Avola WHEN: 2015 DESIGNATION: Sherazade WHERE: Sicily, Read More
If one asks an Italian their favorite summer dish, quite probably the answer will be tuna and tomatoes. Or pasta and tuna. Or simply tuna in a salad with fresh corn. Anyway, it’s tuna! In 2016, Italians consumed more than 150,000 tons of the canned fish, at a value of Read More