Let me start this post about Oregon sparkling wine by saying a few words about Lambrusco. Don’t worry – I promise to connect the dots. It’s been hit or miss for me with Lambrusco from central Italy. Too many of these red sparkling wines taste grapey and lack complexity. Now, fans might insist I haven’t […]
On the road in Oregon? Check out the sparkling wine Read More »
After the new World Wine Travel calendar was finalized last winter and bloggers got the green light to plan posts, I found a bottle of Ego Bodegas Goru Gold at our local World Market and bought it for three reasons: Jumilla was on the docket for August. The price was $14.99. (I actually paid less
Getting to know the grape known in Spain as Monastrell (#worldwinetravel) Read More »
Remember Pinot Grigio from the past? By the past, I mean before 2017. Pinot Grigio was that average, not very aromatic white wine offered at cash bars and served at cocktail receptions – a wine to avoid, even if that meant drinking an equally as generic Merlot. Then, in 2017, winemakers in northeastern Italy got
Pinot Grigio emerges from its lackluster past Read More »
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 »
When I told friends and family about my summer “vacation” plans to attend a wine conference, reactions were mixed. Some chuckled and expressed mock sympathy, and perhaps a hint of envy, as in, “too bad you have to taste wine for three days.” Others registered skepticism and concern. Actually, I signed up for the 13th
What it’s like to attend a wine conference for the first time Read More »
