Orsolani 2006 “La Rustia” Erbaluce di Caluso
Along the Dora Baltea river in northwestern Piemonte is the town of Caluso, center for the Erbaluce di Caluso DOC. The eponymous grape, named for the goddess Albaluce, takes on a …
Wine
D’Arenberg “The Last Ditch” Viognier Adelaide Hills
This one finds its center of gravity on the richer end of the viognier spectrum than the Rolf Binder. It’s a barrel-fermented, Creamsicle-rich wine that you don’t want to chill down …
Wine School of Italy?
If you’ve perused our list of upcoming wine classes, you probably noticed that many of our Regional classes are devoted to Italy. And they usually sell out – quickly. Actually, many classes, …
Sommelier Smackdown & WWE
The WWE tried to prevent us from running our Sommelier Smackdown classes (they claimed it violated their trademarks) In turn, I turned it into a media feeding frenzy. It was a …
Wine Reviews
Tasting Notes from the Philly Wine Festival. To keep up to date, make sure to register for our wine newsletter. It’s free. All current wine ratings can be found on our …
Montes 2005 “Alpha” Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Modern style Chardonnay with plenty of flair and depth. Vanilla-poached pears & toasted almonds on the palate, a little jolt of freshness on the finish, and a lingering sensation of smoke. Quite worthwhile to serve as an aperitif.
Ascevi 2005 “Ronco die Sassi”Sauvignon, Blanc Collio
French varietals have a long history in Italy, most notably in Friuli. Commitment to producing monovarietal white wines has put a uniquely Italian stamp on those grapes and reflects the cross-cultural …
Phoodie.com Editor Joins Wine School Team
Back in 2011, the Wine School had moved from Fairmount to our Rittenhouse location. As part of the move, we brought in a new generation of wine instructors. This was the …
Ravenwood 2002 Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
A definite must-buy for Zin drinkers. Dense and full-bodied, the wine uncorks with an explosion of deep black fruit and freshly roasted coffee beans. Rich but soft tannins carve out a …
Tenuta Uccillino 2004 Burson Riserva, Emilia-Romagna
The wines of the Emilia-Romagna have always been pushed to the background by the gastronomic delights of Bologna, Parma, and Modena. Understandable when you factor in that for decades, the region’s …
Monastero Suore Cistercensi 2007 “Coenobium”, Lazio
You have to be a certain age to remember when cloyingly sweet Riesling with a “Blue Nun” label was all the rage, or, more to the point, what was available to …
Chateau Camplong 2002 “C de Camplong” Corbières
The modern Corbières style marries the freshness of Beaujolais with the fierceness of a Languedoc red. This is a strong example of the technique of using whole-berry fermentation in a Mediterranean …
Torres 2005 Nerola, Barcelona
I could use a few years of age, as this is drinking extremely backward right now. However, within an hour, this wine opens up to reveal a balloon of rich fruit …
What is a Supertaster?
What is a Supertaster?What is a supertaster? Though not exclusively about wine, being a supertaster changes how a person perceives bitterness, a significant component of red wine. The story starts with …
Chateau Leoville-Barton 2004 St,-Julien
The 2004 had the great misfortune of being sandwiched between the exotically ripe 2003 and the already-legendary 2005. But for serious terroir-lovers, for those who want to taste exactly where a …
Rutherglen 2004 Shiraz/ Petite Sirah
This winery is quickly becoming near and dear to my heart (I fell in love with their Marsanne /Viognier blend a few weeks ago). This oddball blend may end up in …