Ciliegiolo Wines of Maremma Toscana The Ciliegiolo (*cheeli-oh-JOL-oh) *grape gets its name from an Italian word for cherry, a fruit that is prominent in this wine’s aroma and flavor. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Chianti, si...
The Ciliegiolo (*cheeli-oh-JOL-oh) *grape gets its name from an Italian word for cherry, a fruit that the Ciliegiolo grape resembles in its wine’s aroma and flavor. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Chianti, since around 2000 it has...
2019 Alberto Motta Ansonica ($23)  Ansonica (an-so-NIC-ah) may not be a grape variety that you are familiar with. I was not. And, the wine region of Maremma Toscana in Italy may not ...
Tuscany is a world famous wine region of Italy that is best known for its Sangiovese-based red wines that include Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. And, within Tuscany, there are more than 40 sub-regions. Maremma Tosca...
2017 Riva Leone Barbaresco ($24.99) Riva Leone was a man of unique character and personality who was an ambassador for the special wines of the Langhe all throughout Europe in the early 20th Century. His legacy lives on in the Riva Leone wines whi...
As we’ve explored the wines of Italy, we’ve learned about the regions of Tuscany, Piedmont’s red wines and white wines, Sicily, Veneto, Valpolicella, Soave, and Montepulciano, Italian grapes such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, and the non-traditional re...
2019 Scaia Garganega / Chardonnay ($14) The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. In Veneto dialect, the word “scaia” ...
The Veneto wine region is located in the north-eastern part of Italy between Milan and Venice. Its geography includes the foothills of the Alps to the north, Lake Garda to the immediate west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. While it is smaller than ...
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and has been making wine since 4000 BC. Its dry, warm climate, regular sunshine and moderate rainfall is well suited for winemaking. Marsala is Sicily’s most famous wine - a fortified wine. But, ...
We’ve recently been exploring Italian wines (Borolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Montepulciano, Soave and Super Tuscans), grapes (Sangiovese and Nebbiolo) and regions (Tuscany and Chianti). So, now let’s take a closer look at another of Italy’s great wine...
Tuscan is located in west-central Italy and includes the cities of Florence, Siena and Pisa. It is also the birthplace of the Italian renaissance. Wine production in Tuscan started before the rise of the Roman Empire and is believed to have begun in ...
2019 Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio ($12) This Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio is from the Valle del Belice in south-western Sicily, Italy. It is produced from 100% Pinot Grigio that is fermented for 15 days at 13-15°C. Maturation is conducted in sta...
Behind the Cork™ - Terre di San Venanzio Here are a couple more wonderful Proseccos from Terre di San Venanzio in Italy. The Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry (shown on the right) hails from 100% Glera from the best D.O.C.G. hills of Va...
2018 Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio ($16) This 100% Pinot Grigio is from the Dolomiti region of Italy. Located in the far northern reaches of alpine Italy, it experiences warm Mediterranean influences as well as cool Alpine breezes. The Lageder family...
2018 Terra Alpina Pinot Bianco ($15) This 100% Pinot Bianco is from the Dolomiti region of Italy. Located in the far northern reaches of alpine Italy, it experiences warm Mediterranean influences as well as cool Alpine breezes. The Lageder family...
2017 Citra Trebbiano d’Abruzzo ($10) This wine is produced from the white grape called Trebbiano Abruzzesa, a grape variety from the Abruzzo Chieti province of Italy. Codice Citra wines are estate grown and bottled from a collection of family own...
2017 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina ($22.99) I always enjoy learning something new about the wine world and this 100% Falanghina from Feudi di San Gregorio in Italy is just another example. Prior to this bottle, I was not aware of the Falanghin...
A friend of mine recently recommended a wine that he really liked. When he showed me the wine’s label I saw that it was an Italian Appassimento. That’s a wine that I was not previously familiar with, so I took a look on-line and found a brief descrip...
I just took a week-long trip to the east coast. Not a wine-focused trip. But, nonetheless, I did pick up a couple bottles to enjoy in the evenings. Being a Californian, it’s really easy to immediately look on the shelves for a nice California wine. ...
Last time we took a look at Barbera, a wine that hasn’t gotten the respect it deserves. And, I mentioned that my first exposure to Barbera was a real eye-opening experience. Unfortunately, in California, the Barbera grape has predominately been us...
Chianti is a great wine to enjoy with an Italian meal. Whether it is spaghetti and meatballs, sausages or pizza, a Chianti is a great pairing. And it’s not hard to find a good one. Chianti is a region within Tuscany in central Italy, between Florenc...
It’s always fun to find and try new and different wines. And, when it comes to exploring “Old World Wines” it can be even more of an adventure. That’s what happened to me when studying the shelves of Italian wines. I came across a completely unknown ...