Today we are sipping French bubbles that are not champagne — one is a crémant and the other a non-alcoholic sparkling cider made in Normandy. We have tasted Crémant de Bourgogne before, but sparkling apple cider from Normandy is new to us. We received both as tasting samples. Cider has been made in France, primarily in Normandy and Brittany, since […]
Unless you are familiar with Sicilian wines you might not be acquainted with the Frappato grape variety. It is indigenous to the southeastern corner of Sicily near Siracusa and Vittoria where it is mainly used as a blending partner for Nero d’Avola in Cerasuolo di Vittoria — Sicily’s only DOCG wine. But Frappato can also stand on its own as […]
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region sits in the southern part of the country. It is Portugal’s largest wine region and occupies 30% of the country’s land mass. In terms of acres planted to vines, Alentejo represents 13% of Portugal’s total acreage. But in terms of domestic sales, both by volume and value, Alentejo comprises more than one-third. Portuguese consumers know a […]
The Hard Working range of wines made by McPrice Myers are, by the winemaker’s description, his value-driven wines. They are sourced from Paso Robles and the Central Coast. We received a selection of Hard Working wines as tasting samples. Mac, as he is known, has been making wine for more than 20 years. After making wine in a shared facility […]
Ameri represents Domaine Bousquet’s top tier of wines. They are sourced from the Bousquet Estate Vineyard that was planted in 1998 and are made only in the best vintages. The land was untamed when the vines were first planted by Anne Bousquet’s father, Jean, and the vineyard has been farmed organically since the very beginning. As you may know, Domaine […]
One of the highlights of my wine year in 2023 was an introduction to Avignonesi and their single-vineyard Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines. I had the good fortune of meeting Xiaowen DU, Marketing Manager and Assistant Winemaker at Avignonesi, and Master of Wine student in April. We connected via Zoom, she in Montepulciano with Avignonesi’s vineyards over her shoulder and […]
Tracey & John Skupny established Lang & Reed with the expressed goal “to explore the distinct charms of Cabernet Franc and to craft wines that are both expressive and enjoyable to drink.” Their appreciation of Cabernet Franc came from years of experience as sommeliers. Their appreciation of Napa Valley’s vineyards drew them to the region and they moved to Napa […]
Gianni Masciarelli is described by his family as Abruzzo’s first “garagiste”. He began as a home winemaker with a 6-acre family vineyard in San Martino sulla Marrucina in Abruzzo’s Chieti province. His first vintage was 1981, in a simpler time. He was a forward-thinking man (he introduced new vine-training systems, French oak barrels and higher density plantings in the vineyard), […]
Joaquín Hidalgo estimates he has tasted about 1000 bottles of Carménère over the past five years. He told an assembled group of wine writers that he developed a love of the variety before he understood the grape or the wine. He went on to share some of what he has learned about Carménère with our group. Joaquín has a degree […]
Cabernet Sauvignon is so well known in the wine world it is on a first-name basis with most wine enthusiasts. Napa Valley, a wine region also on a first-name basis with many wine enthusiasts, undeniably specializes in Cabernet. And true Napa Cabernet lovers know the vineyards and sub-appellations by heart, but what about Cabernet Sauvignon clones? That’s a less common […]
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.
