Author name: Linda Whipple, CSW

Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). WSET 3 Advanced with merit. Grateful for the grape and all things growing.

Discovering Torrette from tiny Valle d’Aosta (#ItalianFWT)

What a discovery! There I was, in the Pennsylvania state liquor store (which, by the way, I sometimes knock), shopping for the southern Italian wine I found online and thought I’d feature for this month’s Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) post. Scanning the shelves, I spied a Valle d’Aosta place name I didn’t recognize […]

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Basking in the glow of Rasteau (#Winophiles)

Here in the Northeast U.S., where fall temps are dipping below freezing overnight, sipping Rasteau wine is like nestling into a warm, sunny spot out of the wind. The comparison is apt, I believe, when you consider the hot, dry Mediterranean climate in the Southern Rhone village of Rasteau and how the south-facing vineyards retain

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Uh, oh! My Texas wine craves barbecue (#WinePW)

We spent Thanksgiving in Austin, Texas, a few years back. As lifelong northerners, we found the city and surrounding hill country lovely and inviting this time of year – comfortable temps in the 70s, plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy along with food trucks and night life, and, of course, the growing number of wineries

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A taste of Tuscany without leaving home (#ItalianFWT)

Let’s face it: There’s no substitute for a visit to Tuscany. Just the mention of iconic Tuscan landmarks is enough to evoke rapture in the hearts of those who’ve been there – Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance and home to masterworks by Botticelli and da Vinci, among others; Pisa and its gravity-defying leaning tower; the

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Merlot for Thanksgiving: Who’s planning ahead?

Several months ago, I was lucky enough to take part in a Snooth virtual tasting of four wines from Murrieta’s Well in the Livermore Valley of California. When we got to the 2016 Merlot, winemaker Robbie Meyer suggested Thanksgiving dinner as the perfect pairing partner. After sampling his Merlot and later opening five others during

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