Recipes from our Cooking Classes
This is the recipe from a previous cooking class. Check out our list of upcoming wine and food pairing classes. Fennel, Orange and Olive Salad 3 peeled oranges 1 fennel bulb, …
The Top BYOB Restaurants in Philly
We need to update this list. Let us know your current favorites in the comments below!BYO culture in Philly is unique among American cities. It came about due to the influence …
Poggio Scalette 2012 Chianti Classico
The Greve Valley is lined with terraced vineyards. Looking across the valley from this winery, those stone walls can look like a giant scallete (ladder, in Italian). At least it did for the …
Rosenblum Cellars 2010 “Harris Kratka” Zinfandel
A Little About Zin No matter its pedigree, Zinfandel is big, dumb, and fun. I don’t mean that in a pejorative way. There should always be a place for fun. This …
Evening Land 2011 Pouilly Fuisse
About Pouilly Fuissé Way back when I was in my early twenties, Pouilly-Fuissé was all the rage. The restaurant I was working at had three on their wine list. One of the …
Contino 2007 Gran Reserva Rioja
CVNE A number of years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a one-on-one tasting with Maria Larrea, the CVNE winemaker. A wonderfully gracious woman, she took me through her entire portfolio …
Saintsbury 2009 “Brown Ranch” Pinot Noir
Saintsbury Winery Most descriptions of Saintsbury Winery will include the word “pioneer” somewhere within the first paragraph. Go one and google it: you will get over 3.5 million pages describing how …
Spontaneously Exploding Prosecco (Video)
Fox News (June 18, 2014) – Exploding wine bottles in Pennsylvania are prompting a recall this morning. The bottles of 2013 Indigenous Selections Prosecco Brut are spontaneously exploding before wine drinkers …
Montecillo 2008 Rioja Reserva
If I could figure out a way to turn the Wine School into a religious institution (think of it: best communion ever!), Rioja would be one of our holy lands. It’s …
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 …