Isabella Oddero
Isabella Oddero from the zinfidel on Vimeo. Isabella Oddero of the famed historic Barolo house Oddero speaks about her families wines at Union Square Wines.
Champagne & Scooby Snacks
I love Champagne in all it’s wonderful array of colors, but I especially like when it takes on a biscuit like flavor. Upon tasting this very fine bottle of Saint Chamant Brut Blanc de Blancs 2002 the first thing that sprang to mind was that it was one Scooby Snack of a bottle. I always wondered...
Etna and why Sicily is Italy’s most exciting wine region.
I have held for some time now that Sicily is Italy’s most exciting wine region. I am not saying it is the best mind you, just the most exciting. It’s the wild west of Italian wine with the gamut ranging from pioneers like COS to maverick’s like Frank Cornelissen to up and comers like Arianna Occhipinti. ...
Reflecting on Burgundy & La Paulée
For the first time I attended a La Paulée event; the Vertical Producer Tasting to be exact. Just in case you are not familiar with La Paulée it is, in a nutshell, a celebration of the wines of Burgundy. I had never been to a La Paulée before for a variety of reasons like, I...
Champagne is Changing, but Hopefully Not Too Much!
Although the drink known as Champagne is changing before our very eyes with Grower Champagne and single vineyards on the rise as driving market forces, one shouldn’t forget that great classic champagnes from historic houses can provide some of the most singular wine experiences, especially with age. I was very clearly reminded of this at...
Clos de la Roilette – Griffe du Marquis: The Black Unicorn
In the small pantheon of great Cru Beaujolis producers, Clos de la Roilette is certainly one of the finest. And while their Cuvée Tardive certainly garners it’s fair share of well deserved attention, it’s rarer Griffe du Marquis is a gem. The famed label featuring the horse head maybe easy to distinguish, but perhaps they...
Beaujolais: Why Earth is Better Than Heaven
I can’t help but thinking of Burgundy when I drink Cru Beaujolais, and vice versa. And I can’t help thinking about a conversation with a friend who suggested that Burgundy is always reaching for the stars, for a pinnacle if you will. While other wines, such as Cru Beaujolais, are so firmly rooted in the...
Magnums: How to Make Friends and Influence People
Want to know how to rock a party, be it dinner or otherwise? Show up with a magnum in hand. Now if you really want to turn heads you can opt for a magnum of Champagne, as I did for a recent house warming party. People threw down their Coronas and Malbecs so fast that...
Monteraponi Chianti: why it’s like Burgundy, only better.
Monteraponi is not only one of the most up and coming estates in Chianti, but one of the finest. The estate run by Michele Braganti located in Radda in Chianti has been in the family since 1974 but Michele only began making wine in 2003. And in the span of a decade Monteraponi has quickly...
Why didn’t anyone tell me Champagne is the greatest drink ever?
How come I’m always the last person to find out really important shit, like that Champagne is the greatest drink ever invented? I arrived late at this party, but I’m here now and I am making 2013 the year of Champagne. I wonder if it is that, like most people, I thought Champagne was only...
Robert Chevillon, Nuits Saint Georges, and a lesson in terroir.
Understanding the wines of Burgundy is sometimes just down right frustrating. So many producers, so many crus, so much terroir. Who can really make heads or tails of it all and who gives a damn anyway. This is the kind of stuff that often runs through my mind when I think about Burgundy. Yet I...
Bordeaux / Brunello / Burgundy / Champagne / Chardonnay / Chianti / France / Italy / Nebbiolo / New York State / Piedmont / Pinot Noir / Rioja / Sangiovese / Spain / Tuscany
Top 10 Wines of 2012
As I reflect back on 2012 I can honestly say that it was my luckiest year yet when it comes to wine. I was fortunate enough to have drunk more great wine more often with more great people than any other year. This is a blessing. And in some ways a curse. Whatever, I have...
Brunello, Now More Than Ever.
After the Brunellogate scandal a few years back and despite the recent criminal tragedy at Soldera, Brunello di Montalcino stands at a moment of renaissance. A second act if you will. With the recent publication of the very fine and wonderfully opinionated book Brunello di Montalcino by Kerin O’Keefe, we may be seeing a lot...
