Ever taste a wine so good it made you cry? Perhaps you can remember the precise moment it changed your life. For Marcus Rafanelli, winemaker at L’Ecole 41 in the Walla Walla Valley in southeastern Washington, that wine was a 1988 Columbia Syrah that he tasted at a birthday dinner. This particular Syrah was the […]
L’Ecole winemaker feels the love for Washington Syrah Read More »
Walla Walla Valley is predominately a red region. Only about 5% of grapes in this corner of southeastern Washington are white. So it felt kind of special to open a bottle of L’Ecole No. 41 Luminesce and shine a light on their two estate-grown whites, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Family-owned L’Ecole No. 41 was the
Shining a light on white grapes of Walla Walla Valley Read More »
“Fascinating” is an overused word, but it seems appropriate to describe the culture, language, wine and food of Basque Country (País Vasco in Spanish). Fiercely independent and proud, the Basque people inhabit both sides of the Spanish-French border in the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Many more live in Spain than in France. Traditionally,
Tasty Txakolina from Basque Country calls for fish (#worldwinetravel) Read More »
Grenache, Grenache, Grenache. Or, if you’re in Spain, Garnacha. Lately, everything’s been coming up Grenache. Not surprising considering the growing popularity of this thin-skinned, late-ripening grape that loves hot, dry environments – southern France, almost all of Spain, southern Australia, Sardinia (where it is known as Cannonau), California, Washington and recently, China, Mexico and Israel.
Sipping Maury Vin Doux Naturel in strawberry season (#Winophiles) Read More »
Food and wine pairing can be a source of either delight or grief, especially this time of year when nature begins to offer up its bounty – peas, beans, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and that especially troublesome pairing nemesis, asparagus. What wine goes with these goodies? And what about those other foods that set
Don’t let dinner give you the pairing blues (#winePW) Read More »
