cheers to moms, military spouses and cheap wine!
When I host private wine tasting events, I walk all attendees through the steps of wine tasting: look, smell, taste, think. Undoubtedly the most challenging step is “smell”. The most common response is “it smells like wine”. I get it – there was a time that wine only smelled like wine to me. Palate development and refinement doesn’t only apply to the taste, but the whole experience.
Continue reading “52 Weeks of Wine – Week 43: Torrontes (August 17th – 23rd 2019)”
I’m slowly but surely realizing that I am an Italian wine girl. Each time I try a new varietal, white or red, I’m blown away! Aglianico was no exception. Along with the excitement and happiness of each new Italian varietal tasting, I’m also a bit disappointed that it’s taken me so long to learn that these fantastic wines are out there and ready to be enjoyed!
Continue reading “52 Weeks of Wine – Week 42: Aglianico (August 10th – 16th 2019)”
Most wine drinkers have an opinion about Chardonnay and that opinion is often polarized. Even within Chardonnay lovers, there are often strong preferences regarding oaked Chardonnay and buttery Chardonnay. So, can you imagine the discussion around canned Chardonnay!
Continue reading “52 Weeks of Wine – Week 41: Chardonnay (August 3rd – 9th 2019)”
When exploring new varietals, I find that I’m more likely to order a wine that I can pronounce over one that I can’t. This goes back to the historically snooty ambiance around wine tasting and a self-consciousness that I once had with wine. I’ve always found it awkward to point to a menu and say “I’ll have that one” or even worse, attempt to pronounce it and be corrected with the proper pronunciation. For these reasons, I would have never tasted a Zweigelt (pronounced Zvee-gelt) on my own terms before embarking on the 52 Weeks of Wine Training Program.
Continue reading “52 Weeks of Wine – Week 40: Zweigelt (July 27th – August 2nd 2019)”
When I think of wines with nutty characteristics (like hazelnut, almond, or walnut), I think of Madeira, Shiraz, and sometimes Pinot Noir. Rarely have I experienced these traits in a white wine!
Fiano, a white grape with a vast Italian history, is known for strong traits of hazelnut and almond. Because it is a very low yielding vine and the grapes produced result in even less juice, wine producers did not dedicate much effort towards Fiano vines until recently. Interestingly, many of the historic Fiano vines are grown alongside Hazelnut plantations.
Continue reading “52 Weeks of Wine – Week 39: Fiano (July 20th – 26th 2019)”