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 […]
The history of Hardys Wines reaches back nearly as far as the first vineyard plantings in Australia’s McLaren Vale and over the years Hardys has undergone about as many changes as the region itself. Hardys currently makes six ranges of wines under the Hardys label, most of which carry names from Hardy family history. Today we are tasting two wines […]
Amarone Confidential is an e-book written by Elisabetta Tosi that gives you a local’s perspective on Valpolicella, its wine and Amarone in particular. Elisabetta tells the story of Amarone by first introducing you to Valpolicella – the place where Amarone is made. Valpolicella is also where Elisabetta lives, so her account is firsthand. And the question and answer format of […]
Today we are sharing a pair of wines made in Napa by Sean and Juliana McBride. Neither wine is a Cabernet or even a Bordeaux blend. The first is sourced from one of Napa Valley’s nested AVAs, the other is not. Intrigued? We received both wines as tasting samples. Neither Sean or Juliana grew up in winemaking families, but both […]
’Tis the season for a glass of sparkling wine. And if it’s a glass of organic bubbly, so much the better. Today we have two sparkling wines made by Domaine Bousquet to share with you. Both will put a bit of sparkle in any gathering. We received these wines as tasting samples. Domaine Bousquet hasn’t stood still since the first […]
How do you choose the wines you purchase? We all have different criteria, but the bottom line is the wine must taste good and it must be affordable. Wines made by BARRA of Mendocino definitely fulfill both of those requirements, and you get organic certification, family ownership and attractive labels for no extra charge! Today we’re tasting three new reserve […]
The story of Brunello di Montalcino and Bolgheri wines provide an interesting contrast between Tuscan regions that have achieved their prestige in very different ways — one through the embrace of tradition and a local variety and the other by throwing off tradition and embracing international varieties. The wines are very different, as you would expect. We received these wines […]
I think we can all agree that anytime is the perfect time for a glass of sparkling wine but, practically speaking, most of us are going to have more opportunities to enjoy sparkling wine as the holidays approach. This year, why not choose a sparkling wine with an interesting backstory in addition to those lively bubbles? Why not choose Limoux? […]
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.