Young Professionals Explore Merlot with #MerlotMe #WinePW

#MerlotMe 2019 – Introduce Merlot to the Next Generation Wow, this is the fifth year our Wine Pairing Weekend Group and the #MerlotMe wineries are collaborating to celebrate the Merlot grape all through October. Take a look farther down in this post to all all the great ideas from my fellow Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers. … Continue reading

Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux – Your “Go-To” for the Grill

Cru Bourgeois Wines and the Grill Cru Bourgeois wines from Bordeaux fill a perfect spot at the dinner table when grilled foods are being served. They possess a magical combination of high quality, affordable price (around $20 US for a bottle), age-able but ready to drink on purchase. Whether you’re holding one in your cellar … Continue reading

Vermilion Valley Vineyards – Is Ohio on Your Wine Radar?

Time to Put Ohio on Your Wine Radar We all know about Napa Valley and California wine. We know about Washington State and Oregon. Some folks know about wine from New York State and Virginia. How about Ohio? Last winter I saw some posts on Facebook by a young winemaker from Ohio, he seemed passionate … Continue reading

Lambrusco Shines with Red Fizz and Fun #ItalianFWT

Lambrusco for Italian Food Wine and Travel This month, our Italian Food, Wine and Travel group is celebrating the fizzy, fun wine of Emilia-Romagna: Lambrusco. Take a look farther down in this post for a whole bunch of great takes on Lambrusco from my Italian wine loving buddies! Lambrusco’s Challenges Wine lovers in the US … Continue reading

April Snowstorms Bring May Rosé

Snow Kicks Off Rosé Season in Minnesota It happens every year! Late in the winter, I’ll receive a few offers to sample the coming seasons’ rosé wines. I always like to try a few new examples, so I say “sure!” The rosés arrive.  Then we get one (hopefully last) big snowstorm! So, without further adieu, … Continue reading

What’s New in Lodi!

What’s New in Lodi? Everyone knows: Lodi = Zinfandel. Not exactly true! Yes, Lodi grows a lot of Zinfandel, but there are other grapes grown in the region as well. During a visit at the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference, I found that Lodi is much more than just one grape. Recently, I had the opportunity … Continue reading

Explore the Wines of Montefalco

Montefalco in Umbria The Umbria region is inland from the more famous Tuscany. Known as the “Green Heart of Italy”, Umbria is a prolific producer of many food products including grains, olives, porcini mushrooms and black truffles. Montefalco in Umbria is best known for Sagrantino, an intensely tannic red wine. But Montefalco is much more … Continue reading

Enjoy Affordable Left Bank Bordeaux With Your Steak

Bordeaux is Expensive, Right? Many wine drinkers know that top Bordeaux wines are expensive. In 1855 Napoleon asked wine regions to classify their top wines. Bordeaux selected their Grand Cru Classé wines, with 5 wineries named to Premier Grand Cru Classé. These were the most famous and expensive wines of their day. Château Lafite Rothschild … Continue reading

Looking Beyond Biodynamic Certification at Cantina di Filippo #ItalianFWT

Italian Food, Wine and Travel Writers Explore More Sustainable Viticulture This month, our Italian Wine, Food and Travel group is researching sustainable approaches to winemaking in Italy. Our investigation started as a look into biodynamics, but it turns out that can be a bit problematic. Why? Because certification isn’t right in every situation. The real … Continue reading

Anteprima Sagrantino

Or: How I tasted 45 of the Most Tannic Wines and Lived to Tell the Tale After hosting our recent Italian Food, Wine & Travel group’s foray into Sagrantino, I received a surprise invitation to attend Anteprima Sagrantino. This annual press event celebrates the release of young Montefalco Sagrantino wines in Montefalco, Umbria. The local … Continue reading