Top Gift Wines
I want three core elements for any wine: high quality, fairly priced, and small production. I’m the type of wine curmudgeon who doesn’t bother with mass-produced wines but doesn’t want to …
Wine Regions
What is Zinfandel?
Zinfandel: The All-American Grape with Hidden RootsZinfandel, or as it is affectionately called, Zin, is said to be one of the most famous noble grapes in America. Its heavy flavors and …
Top Italian Red Wines for $20
Italian Red Wines 101Walk into any wine shop, and you will be confronted with hundreds of Italian red wines, ranging in price from six dollars to hundreds. Your goal is to …
Schioppettino #3
The effort to save the varietal Schioppettino from extinction can be traced back to the actions of one man, Paulo Rapozzi, and his vineyard Ronchi di Cialla. After the twin threats …
Schioppettino #2
In Janis Robinson’s impressive “Wine Grapes,” she describes 1,400 grape varietals in commercial production. However, the world’s wine shelves are dominated by a mere 20. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay have …
Pallagrello
Located at the “shin” of Italy, bordered on the east by the Tyrrhenian Sea and set between the Garigliano River to the north and the Gulf of Policastro to the south, …
Schioppettino
Tucked away in the eastern hills of the Friuli region of Italy is a small valley between the Upper Adriatic Sea and the foothills of the Julian Alps. This area, known …
Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe, also called Coda di Volpe Bianca, is a native white wine grape grown in the Campania region of Italy, primarily in Benevento, Avellino, Napoli, and Caserta. With an …
Timorasso #4
Timorasso is a white grape native to Italy and has been growing around the Tortona hills, located at the crossroads of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, and Liguria, since the Middle Ages. …
Pallagrello Bianco
Italy has a rich winemaking history shaped by politics, culture, tradition, historic events, climate, and evolving wine trends. From the evidence of wineries in Sicily over six thousand years old to …
Falanghina
Falanghina is derived from the Latin falangae, which refers to stakes used to support the grape in an ancient wine training method called alla putuelan. Falanghina is grown primarily in Campania but is …
Pugnitello
I was recently hit with the wanderlust bug and convinced 37 of my family members to travel to one of the most beautiful places in the world: Tuscany, Italy. In early …
Prié Blanc
In a tiny wine region of Italy, one very French-sounding grape is being saved from the brink of extinction: Prié Blanc. Prié Blanc is also known by the even more French-sounding …
Timorasso #2
Timorasso is a white grape found in the southwest corner of the Piedmont region of Italy, particularly the Colli Tortonesi Appalachian, which borders Liguria to the south and Emili-Romagna and Lombardy …