Like so many older European winemaking regions, the Languedoc has instigated its own transformation during the last decade as more informed and new generations of winemakers introduced state of the art winemaking technique to showcase local terroir. The development can not be taken casually since the Languedoc, combined with its southwest neighboring sister region Roussillon, represents more […]
Get Over Yourself With Niagara Wine
The idea of heading north for the long immersion weekend on both sides of the Niagara wine region’s international border was not rocking my world. Despite looking forward to the vinous camaraderie of TasteCamp 2011’s wine writer gang, Niagara wines never competed for my attention or cellar space and doubt was raging that one weekend of […]
Champagne Musings: A Wine of Place or Pleasure?
Recent chatter around grower produced and single vineyard Champagne is teasing intellectually vinous curiosities. I “think” most winemakers and growers in any wine region usher fruit from vine to barrel to bottle with the idea of producing pleasure inducing liquid. On a global basis, wine makers rely on vineyard or broader appellation specificity for reasons that […]
Drink Ribera With a Vega Sicilia Kicker
January is a time for dormant vines, hushed wineries, and touring wine makers. It signals a season of invitations to trade and press dinners, events, and tastings that can stress even the loosest calendar. I managed to squeeze in a Vega Sicilia tasting hosted by Spain’s Ribera del Duero viticultural region, or DO. Spain’s de […]
Declaring Mencia King
My love affair with the Mencia grape is officially out of control. Tasting through more of these wines at Toro (which is by the way Ken Oringer’s restaurant serving very serious food in a relaxed but energy charged atmosphere…sitting on my top ten all-time list for “simply delicious” and a winning choice for Beantown foodie indulgence) convinced me that my first […]