Tomas and Giesen “Munir Bianco” 2006, IGT, Sicilia
Cataratto is one of the most widely planted grapes in Italy. It accounts for over half of Sicily’s vineyard acres and is known primarily for use as a bulk wine grape …
Italy
Italian Wine for Sommeliers
What is Italian Wine? Recently, our Advanced Sommelier students finished a seven-week Viaggio through the often bewildering but fascinating demimonde of Italian wine. Along the way, they tasted, analyzed, and discussed …
Abbazia di Novacella 2007 Kerner, Alto Adige
The Alto Adige may be politically and geographically part of Italy, but its wines exhibit an attitude born of altitude that is decidedly continental. Nestled in the visually stunning Valle Isarco …
Review: Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.
For those of you in a wine course, a great novel to dive into while blind tasting is Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Highsmith’s protagonist is the very sordid yet …
Pondering Barolo
There are wines. And there are Wines. Barolo is of the latter, not for its renown, prestige, or even its price. No, Barolo is a Wine that presents more questions than …
Badia di Morrona 2000 “Nantia” Toscana
Quick quiz. What do these wines have in common – Solaia, Lupicaia, Cepparello, Olmaia, Feliciai, Summus? Super Tuscans with prices to match. Throw in a few more “aias,” and you have …
Cantina Cardeto 2005 “Rupestro” Umbria
Sangiovese is the most Italian of grapes, planted in almost every region and showing up in scores of classified wines, either on its own or in highly coveted (and high priced!) …
Italian Wine Reviews
File this in the”old dog, new tricks” category. I’ve never been a fan of Italian Merlot. The ones I’d had the misfortune to experience were thin, too vegetal, and in some …
Silvio Jermann 2005 “Were Dreams,” Friuli
Still, making jokes about Italian white wines? This one will cure you. Silvio Jermann, the genius of northeast Italy, produces some of the most interesting, well-crafted whites on the boot. This …
Riesling Reviews
One of our Advanced Sommelier students spent a month drinking Riesling. I thought that was cool, so I asked him to write about it.———-One man’s journey to the light side and …
The Top Ten Truths of Tuscan Tourism
The Wine School of Philadelphia took our show on the road the first week of June, converting the Villa Giusterna in Chianti into our Tuscan campus. Instead of boring everyone with …
Unexpected Pairings
This past summer, I fell madly in love with a perhaps unexpected food and wine pairing: Braised beef ravioli with tomato sauce alongside a bottle of Grand Cru Burgundy. This past …
Cantine Cardeto 2002 “Rupestro” IGT, Umbria
Even though Sangiovese is Italy’s most prolific and widely planted grape, it is popularly associated with Tuscany- Chianti, to be specific. In the hills near Orvieto, blended with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, and …
Argiolas 2004 “Perdera”, Isola dei Nuraghi
Monica is a varietal indigenous to Sardegna, believed to have been introduced, as was Cannonau, by Spanish monks in the 11th century.There are two DOC zones where it predominates. However, this …
Tasting Campania
We’ve dropped Italian Wine Pick of The Week in favor of a more suitable header, one which translates as “The Wine Corner.” A place not just for reviews but all things …
Summer Wine Suggestions
To desire wine is to throw oneself into a lifelong adventure that will never be fully satisfied. And The Wine School – with its no-frills and down-to-earth manner – has been …