Rufina: One Straw in the Chianti Haystack #ItalianFWT

Italian FWT Chianti CavalcadeThis month, our Italian Food Wine and Travel writers will be celebrating different aspects of Chianti. Chianti is a familiar Italian wine to drinkers around the world, but there is so much to explore! Scroll down in this post for a list of links to all the writers contributions. Chianti Classifications – … Continue reading →

Wine Harvester’s Chicken and Côte Roannaise

A Keeper Recipe and a Wine DiscoveryThis dinner wasn’t intended for a blog post, but the dish is so good, it needs to be shared and remembered. Peter brought a wine to enjoy with dinner and that led to discovery of a wine region I was not previously aquainted with, Loire Volcanique. Here you go, … Continue reading →

Preview to 8th Annual #WinePW and #MerlotMe Celebration

Wine Pairing Weekend Writers Wax Eloquent on the Joys of MerlotOur Wine Pairing Weekend writers have been singing the praises of Merlot in collaboration with the #MerlotMe producers every October for the last seven years. Our writers look forward to October each year more for Merlot than pumpkin spice, though it might be close for some. What’s … Continue reading →

Trying Out the America’s Test Kitchen Modern Bistro Cookbook

America’s Test Kitchen “Modern Bistro” CookbookI recently accepted a sample of the new America’s Test Kitchen “Modern Bistro” Cookbook for review purposes. This was an easy “yes” because: America’s Test Kitchen recipes are always well researched I’m a fan of French cooking in general Bistro style recipes are typically a bit less involved than haute … Continue reading →

Paella on the Grill and a Texas Rosé Surprise!

Texas Wines for SummerEarlier this summer, a wine writer friend sent an invitation to try some Texas Hill Country wines aimed at summer enjoyment. It’s been some time since I have tried a Texas wine, so I happily agreed to try a few. Even though Minnesota is nearing the end of summer, there’s lots of … Continue reading →

A Lighter Hand in Languedoc #Winophiles

French Winophiles Search for Sustainable / Organic Languedoc WinesThis month, our French Winophiles accepted the assignment to find sustainable / organic / biodynamic wines from the Languedoc region of France. Finding wines from lesser known regions can be a challenge, so we are welcoming any posts featuring Languedoc wines, but we are hoping our writers … Continue reading →

In Praise of Older Rosé

The Immediacy of RoséTradition tells us to drink rosé young, within a year of its’ listed vintage. This is compounded by many rosés being bottled in clear glass to show off that beautiful color. As we get to the end of the summer, what’s a drinker to do? Do you need to finish all your … Continue reading →

A Virtual Visit to Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard

Bodega Catena Zapata Adrianna VineyardThe Adrianna Vineyard is the crown jewel in the Bodega Catena Zapata portfolio. The Adrianna vineyard is located in the Gualtallary geographic indication, one of the highest altitude vineyard areas in Argentina. Gualtallary sits at nearly 5000 ft. altitude and a latitude of 33° S resulting in more intense sunlight and … Continue reading →

Why Does WSET Love Hunter Valley Semillon? #WorldWineTravel

World Wine Travel Writers Seek White Wines from New South WalesOur World Wine Travel group made an unexpected discovery: outside a few well known regions, Australian wines are very poorly distributed in the US. Bummer! This month we’ll focus on white wines from New South Wales if we can find one. If not, we’ll interpret … Continue reading →

Surprise! Sauvignon Blanc from Bourgogne #Winophiles

French Winophiles Highlight Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley and BeyondThe most up-to-date research indicates the Loire Valley as the ancestral home of Sauvignon Blanc. Our French Winophiles are well acquainted with the towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé as excellent sources for wines made from the grape. Of course, Sauvignon Blanc has found it’s way … Continue reading →