Salviano 2012 Orvieto Classico
Orvieto Orvieto used to be huge. I still am surprised when younger sommeliers and students don’t recognize the name. In the ’80s, it was one of those bottles that white zin …
Mainline Times: The Wine School of Philadelphia
Originally published in the Mainline Times.“There’s no pressure here,” instructor Michael Alleruzzo said. “We’re just going to sit back and have fun. We’re going to enjoy some great wines…So I’ll be …
Restaurant Reviews from the Wine School
These restaurant reviews were originally published in 2014. A lot has changed since then. If you have any restaurants you think should be featured, let us know!Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle …
Domaine Forca Real 2011 “Mas de la Garrigue” Côtes du Roussillon-Villages
For a hot moment in the late 90’s, France’s Mediterranean vineyards were trendy, in particular the Languedoc-Roussillon. The good folks at Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate couldn’t rate the wines high …
Recipes for Food and Wine Pairings
A few recipes from our food & wine pairing classes. Chilled Rosemary Soup with Hazelnut OilA very pretty soup that balances the sweetness of carrot with the piney quality of rosemary. The …
Château de Belcier 2011 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
I discovered the wine company Gironde et Gascogne at a trade tasting a few years back. This is a boutique operation with two chateaux on their roster, both in Bordeaux: Château Ramage La …
Paul Jourdan 2010 “Cuvee Papale” Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Winery Background This wine is something of a mystery. There is no winery in Chateauneuf-du-Pape with the name Paul Jourdan. There was a man by that name who owned Domaine Chante Cigale from …
Villa Cafaggio 2006 Cortaccio
This is not my first rodeo with Villa Cafaggio. When I was the national sommelier for Bacchus Selections, I was a huge fan of their Chianti Classico. It was a great …
Chalk Hill 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
A unique style of Sauvignon Blanc that typically is referred to as “Fume Blanc” saw its popularity peak in the nineties. You know, last century. That said, this is a fantastic …
Coppo 2011 Moncalvina Moscato d’Asti
Moscato has been a popular bubbly for centuries, but the last few years have seen its fame skyrocket in America. It’s one of the best gateway wines: its bubbles and grapey …
Casa Lapostolle 2010 ”Cuvée Alexandre” Merlot
This is a delicious wine styled to be both plush and pretty. First is the rich ruby color with glass-staining extraction. Then the aromas of red berries and tarragon traced by …
Tequila Cocktails!
Punch Drunk Blanco Serves approximately 20 4 fresh stalks of lemongrass, rough chop 3-in. piece of peeled ginger, rough chop 2 large pineapples, cut into chunks 1½ L. of tequila blanco 92 oz. …
A Del Frisco’s Sommelier Smackdown
The Sommelier Smackdown is one of our food & wine pairing classes at the Wine School and one that we gain a lot of attention, even sometimes too much. We brought …
Privatizing Wine with Jonathan Newman
A long time ago, we were part of the push to abolish the PLCB and privatize the wine industry in Pennsylvania. This press conference was a big moment for us. House …
