Tasting notes for individual wines.
Avignonesi is situated in the hills of Tuscany on the edge of Montepulciano near Cortona. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is their flagship wine and while they are Sangiovese specialists, and dedicated to the variety, they are also looking to native grape varieties as a hedge against climate change. Their organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard are carried into the […]
We are continuing our exploration of Arizona wine for one more post, though I cannot promise it will be the last. We are happy to share three current-release wines made by Aridus Wine Company in Willcox, Arizona. We received these wines as tasting samples. Scott & Joan Dahmer began their journey from wine enthusiasts to winery owners in 2009 with […]
Sonoita is Arizona’s oldest AVA and was established in 1984. It was the first, but its neighboring and second Arizona AVA, Willcox, produces most of the grapes in Arizona. We first visited Sonoita/Elgin in 2011 and were surprised and charmed by the open grasslands. The high-elevation grasslands sit at about 4800 feet above sea level. The Santa Rita Mountains to […]
Several months ago I attended a tasting of Australian Pinot Noir hosted by the San Francisco Wine School. The tasting focused on four cool-climate regions in Australia and brought a taste of the Pinot Noir Celebration Australia, held in the Mornington Peninsula in February, to the US. I attended the tasting and received sample wines as a media guest of […]
While it is true that we enjoy red wines more often in the cooler months of fall and winter, we are always happy to discover red wines to enjoy during spring and summer too. When we do drink red wines in warmer weather we prefer red wines that aren’t quite so rich and heavy bodied. We still look for complex […]
Quite a bit has changed since 2017 when we first published a post about the Scottsdale Wine Trail. The wine trail is collection of Arizona winery tasting rooms located in Old Town and downtown Scottsdale. One winery has relocated on the trail, three new wineries have joined and one has left. The tasting rooms are all located within about six […]
Notre Vue Estate & Winery sits on a 710-acre property south of Healdsburg straddling Sonoma’s Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill AVAs. 250 acres of vineyards cover the rolling hills, but 350 acres are protected as “Forever Wild” open space. Balverne is a sister label to Notre Vue and both are sourced exclusively from Notre Vue vineyards. We received these […]
A Chardonnay blend or Nerello Mascalese are perfect springtime sips as the weather is warming, but still unsettled. Can’t decide between a spring salad and a roasted vegetable and farro salad? Still enjoying roasted chicken and not quite ready to fire up the grill? Let us introduce you to Castello Pomino and Duca di Salaparuta, a taste of Tuscany and […]
BARRA of Mendocino continues their commitment to family farming and crafting delicious certified-organic wines with the recent release of their reserve wines. These new wines remain very reasonably priced and come with some exciting packaging changes. We received these wines as tasting samples. Charlie Barra began farming organically because that’s how he learned to farm from his parents, who emigrated […]
This third group of wines curated by Sheila Donohue on her website VeroVino, and sent to us as tasting samples, is a treasure trove of unusual grape varieties and lesser-known (at least to us) wine regions in northern Italy. As usual, these VeroVino wines are made by small producers using sustainable or organic practices in their vineyard and cellar. I […]
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.
