Newbies to old-world Malbec discover Cahors (#Winophiles)

Do you remember the first wine you loved? For us, it was Argentinian Malbec – inky purple, bold and spicy. The spouse and I adopted Malbec as our go-to red not long after graduating from the cheap, big-name brands that filled the wine rack in our 20s and, to be honest, beyond then. For us, […]

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It’s #MerlotMe month. Where’s the umami? (#WinePW)

Here it is, #MerlotMe month – my first as a blogger – and I’m facing a challenge from the get-go. I actually prefer a smooth-talking, plum and mocha-tasting Merlot to its more tannic blending partner, the highly prized Cabernet Sauvignon. The problem is I rarely cook or eat red meat. So what can I pair

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Fresh Abruzzo wines to pair with fall produce (#ItalianFWT)

What makes a wine taste fresh? I began to ponder this question while quaffing three fresh-tasting Abruzzo wines – one white and two reds – for this month’s #ItalianFWT Twitter chat on Oct. 5. The white is a Pecorino, a grape native to both the Marche and Abruzzo regions of Italy. The two reds are

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Spaghetti and meatballs for a Corsican wine (#Winophiles)

If I needed an excuse to cook spaghetti and meatballs, I found one this month when the Winophiles group of intrepid bloggers landed on the French island of Corsica. Yes, that’s right – French. Corsica – the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte – was ceded to France by Genoa, a former Italian city-state, in 1768. Located

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A reason to visit Livermore Valley

Everyone’s heard of Napa and Sonoma, right? But how many of us say, “Wow, I really need to visit Livermore Valley next time I’m in California.” Here’s one reason to go: Murrieta’s Well. One of California’s original wine estates, Murrieta’s Well has been growing grapes since the 1800s. In 1884, Louis Mel purchased land in

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