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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
