Author: Nancy (CSW)

Franciacorta for the holidays photo

Franciacorta: A Name to Know if You Love Sparkling Wine

Franciacorta is a small wine region that lies in northern Italy’s Lombardia (Lombardy) region. Only sparkling wines made here using the traditional method, metodo classico, may be called Franciacorta. Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Pinot Bianco are the main grape varieties. Erbamat, an indigenous white variety with naturally high acidity levels, has also been approved recently. Why should you […]

2021 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau featured photo

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau: A First Taste of the 2021 Vintage

Every year, Beaujolais Nouveau Day falls on the third Thursday in November and celebrates the end of harvest in Beaujolais. The early release date gives consumers a first taste of the vintage. Les Vins Georges Duboeuf has been a big promoter of Beaujolais Nouveau over the years and makes a Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé and Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau. This year […]

Domaine Bousquet featured photo

Organic Wines For Your Thanksgiving Table From Domaine Bousquet

Can you believe it is already time to begin planning for Thanksgiving? Depending on the size of your gathering you will need one or more wines to accompany your meal. Whether you plan a traditional Thanksgiving menu or one that is more modern, Domaine Bousquet has at least one wine from their broad portfolio of wines to accompany your meal. […]

2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, Portalegre, DOC Alentejo photo

Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco — A Taste of Alentejo’s Portalegre

When the Symington family decided to expand beyond the Douro, where they have spent five generations establishing themselves as makers of quality Port and dry red wines, they chose Portalegre. In 2017 they purchased an estate they have named Quinta da Fonte Souto. The 511-acre property has just over 100 acres of vineyards at elevations between 1600 and 1800 feet […]

Alentejo foursome feature photo

Alentejo Wines: Red Blends, A Rosé And An Amphora Wine

Today we’re taking a virtual trip to one of my favorite Portuguese wine regions: Alentejo. This large inland region is known for sunny days, cork trees, agriculture and its wines. As with other regions in Portugal most wines are blends, but unlike other Portuguese wine regions the use of amphorae in winemaking has persisted since being introduced by the Romans. […]

Domaine de Cala Rosé featured photo

2020 Domaine de Cala Rosé — Welcome In My Glass Any Time of Year

Today we’re thinking of Provence, pretending we’re sitting at a shady table on a warm afternoon watching the sea and sipping rosé. We’re waiting for lunch to arrive and planning a lazy afternoon. Well, a girl can dream can’t she? The second best thing to being in Provence sipping rosé is sipping a glass of Provençal rosé at home on […]

Suisun Valley AVA featured photo

A Petite Sirah Welcome to California’s Suisun Valley AVA

Are you familiar with California’s Suisun Valley AVA? We weren’t until we drove an alternate route home from Napa Valley that took us over the mountains south of Napa’s Atlas Peak AVA, to Wooden Valley Road, Suisun Valley Road and through picturesque Mankas Corner before joining Hwy 12 in Fairfield. It was the Welcome to Suisun Valley AVA sign that […]

Sustainable Chile featured photo

Six Wines That Highlight Chile’s Sustainability Efforts

Certified sustainability initiatives have become a part of many wineries’ operations. These certifications are sometimes promoted by wine regions, sometimes individual wineries seek certification on their own, and sometimes, as is the case with Chile’s Sustainability Code for the Chilean Wine Industry (SCWI), they are the result of a country-wide effort. According to Wines of Chile (Vinos de Chile), a […]