‘IL’ Ugo is a sparkling cocktail produced by Mionetto that is inspired by a favorite northern Italian cocktail called the Hugo. The flavors are unlike anything we have tasted and we found it interesting and delicious.
The Peter Mondavi family and Charles Krug Winery have much to celebrate in 2014. The winery has completed an ambitious renovation of both their vineyards and winery as well as the Redwood Cellar tasting room originally built in 1872. Owner Peter Mondavi Sr. will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and the Charles Krug Winery spring release wines from the 2011 vintage represent both the 150th Anniversary harvest and the inaugural release of the Family Reserve Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ribera del Duero is a wine region located on the northern plateau of Spain known for producing quality wines from Tempranillo. The weather is inhospitable, the soils are complex and the elevation is mostly more than 2500 feet above sea level. Local winemakers work their magic with Tempranillo planted along the Duero River and at higher elevations.
Rioja is a wine region located in northern Spain (between Bilbao and Madrid) that is highly regarded for its Tempranillo, which comprises the majority of the plantings in the region. Garnacha, Carignan and Graciano are also planted and are most often blending partners to Tempranillo.
As the folks at Borra Vineyards put it, “Yeah. We make nice Zin. But there’s more to Lodi than Zinfandel.” It’s a good thing to remember, actually, to always keep an open mind with regard to wine and wine regions and what they have to offer.
To say Casey Flat Ranch is remote is an understatement. The 6000 acre ranch is located in the Vaca Mountains northeast of Lake Berryessa and the Napa Valley. This remote area of Yolo county has a wine producing history dating back to the 1860s, but the Capay Valley AVA was only recently declared in 2002.
The Lodi Native Project is the collaborative effort of six Lodi winemakers making Zinfandel from six heritage vineyards using a standardized, minimal-intervention style of winemaking. It is intended to showcase some of Lodi’s special Zinfandel vineyards, not the winemaking style. A unique concept which produces six unique and delicious wines.
The Alsace region is tucked into the northeast corner of France right along the border with Germany. The wine of the region, along with everything else, is influenced by both countries which makes for some very interesting wines.
Earth Day and Organic Prosecco, what a brilliant pairing! What’s even more brilliant is how flavorful and fresh this wine tastes. Bubbles are among my very favorite wines, so to be able to enjoy a bubbly made with organic grapes on Earth Day literally made my day.
Most wine drinkers are not excited about finding sediment, crystals or anything else in the bottom of their drained wine glass. I keep an open mind about these things. Admittedly it doesn’t happen too often, mostly just some sediment with an older red wine (which makes me very happy as I appreciate the transformation an older red wine makes in the bottle), but recently I was treated to a little surprise.
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.