At the mention of Sicily, hopefully some of the first things to pop into your mind are sunny beaches, Mediterranean air, fresh seafood, and possibly even delicious wine. Two of the coolest things about Sicilian wines are that they are approachable both in style and price. They offer some of the best—and diverse—options for introducing yourself to Old World wines. But unless you actually go there, it can be hard to realize how large, and unlike an island, this island really is. Its surface area is actually three times the size of New Zealand! They produce between 100 and 130 million gallons of wine per year. That is equivalent to about 2 million oak barrels! The region is also number one in Italy for organic wines, boasting 38% of Italy’s total organic wine production. Continue reading Sicily: A food and wine paradise
Category Archives: History
Discover Rhone
Feeling a pull to step out of your comfort zone with the wines you normally drink? Well whatever those may be, a spectacular place to start a new voyage is in the southern part of the Rhone River Valley!
If you don’t have the resources to jump head first into the reigning region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, whose silky and alluring wines command a higher, though well-deserved price, the next best way to discover Rhone is to venture out into its satellite regions. Unlike many other wine growing regions of the world, the span of high quality vineyards of the Rhone extends far beyond its heart, in this case, the historical region of Chateauneuf. In the Rhone, the satellite regions are where you will find not just some of the very best values, but also quite a heap of hidden gems. Continue reading Discover Rhone
Drink Like a Founding Father this Independence Day
Back in the early days of America, when water wasn’t always safe to drink due to lack of proper sanitation, our Founding Fathers needed to find some way to stay hydrated. Ingeniously, those clever men who brought us the Declaration of Independence also came up with a foolproof way to consume liquids without the risk of water-borne disease: alcohol. It was widely understood that alcohol killed bacterial contaminants, and while it came with its own set of risks, it was deemed much safer (and much more fun) to drink.
While distilled spirits and beer were popular choices, our Founding Fathers (especially noted connoisseur Thomas Jefferson) often turned to wine as their beverage of choice. Early attempts at planting grapes in the New World were unsuccessful, as the European grape varieties brought over by colonists were not suitable for surviving American pests and vine diseases. Therefore, imported wines were widely preferred. In honor of Independence Day, raise a glass of one of the following wines to our Founding Fathers: Continue reading Drink Like a Founding Father this Independence Day
First Ladies of Wine
Although the world of wine has historically been a bit of a boys’ club — or perhaps, a mustachioed, bespectacled, older gentlemen’s club — many women are increasingly finding a way in and dramatically impacting the industry for the better. Women, who, according to recent scientific research, may actually be in general more sensitive tasters than men, have broken through the (wine) glass ceiling to succeed as winemakers, winery owners, sommeliers, wine scientists, wine writers, and more.
In honor of National Women’s History Month, we want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the amazing female pioneers in their respective fields and recognize their indispensable contributions, from the vineyard to the lab to the glass, and beyond: Continue reading First Ladies of Wine
Somm Things I Think About: Portugal’s still wines
Portugal has built its reputation on fortified wines and for hundreds of years, Port and Portugal have been synonymous. But too often overlooked are the still, dry wines of the country. With over 250 indigenous varieties, different climates, soils and with sustainable practices, Portugal is an untapped haven for still wines. They are incredibly food friendly, and have every price range and style imaginable.
Wine making in Portugal pre-dates the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. In fact, they have been making wines for over 4,000 years. This independence and isolation has lead to indigenous grapes not found elsewhere in the world, save a couple shared with Spain (Alvarinho=albarino, and Tinto Roriz=Tempranillo).
Continue reading Somm Things I Think About: Portugal’s still wines