Instead of focusing on wine tasting as some sort of elaborate, rigid routine fraught with ritual and stern judgement, wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just break it down for you via a few simple rules that maximize pleasure and learning while minimizing angst and consternation? I was witness to just that when, as [More]
2 of The Best Italian Red Wines For Pizza
I love beer, white wine, sparkling wine, and rosé with pizza. But the classics never go out of style. Here are two Italian red wines that are dynamite with pizza. Both were consumed at Bar Del Corso, one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. Even if you don’t get pizza there (which you should), you’ll [More]
International Versus Indigenous Wine Grapes: The Case of Sicily
What gets you to explore wines made from unfamiliar grapes? How do you discover something new? Sicily is an interesting case as an island full of indigenous grapes as well as plenty of wine made from non-native, better-known grapes like Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Syrah. I had these questions in mind when I conducted a phone [More]
Vall Llach: Exploring the Red Wines of Priorat in Spain
It’s hard to look at the grape vines in the rugged region of Priorat in Spain and not think, “How do they make wine here?” The steep hills, the gnarled vines, the “llicorella” (slate) soil. And to call it soil is kind of strange as it looks menacing, like it would slice you in half [More]
Happy Thanksgiving: Sparkling Selections of Washington Wine and Cider
My two themes for Thanksgiving refreshment? The first is Washington State. The other? Bubbles. I couldn’t pass up the chance to snag a magnum of Syncline’s Scintillation Rosé, hailing from the picturesque Columbia Gorge. A big bottle is the way to go for a large crowd. And, of course, how could I forget Finnriver from [More]
20 Wine Bloggers Talk About Thanksgiving: 2006-2014
I’m going back in the time machine and rounding up some of my top Thanksgiving wine posts as well as taking a trip around the blog-o-sphere to see what my fellow scribes have historically opined about when it comes to the most venerated of American eating and drinking holidays. Let’s do this! Starting with me, [More]
Adventures With Spit Buckets and More Life Lessons at Wine Tastings
What have I learned attending a decade-plus worth of wine tastings all over the country and world? Well, I’ve certainly accumulated a lot of knowledge and experience. But I’ve also developed some, shall we say, neurotic tendencies. Here is one circumstance that, at some point, will strike all wine tasters. Both casual and veteran: When [More]
Exploring The Red and White Wines of Northern Italy
You ever insisted on something being true even after, time and time again, all your suppositions prove misguided? This happened to me while I was treated to a wine-tastic meal by Wayne Young. He’s the Sales, Communication, and Marketing Manager for the wines of Bastianich and La Mozza. We started out exploring the Adriatico [More]
