Perched atop a craggy cliff and completely landlocked by Italy, the tiny country of San Marino has stubbornly held on to its independence for centuries. Italians flock to the tiny country because of its tax-free status and tourists just generally want to check another country off their list. It’s probably safe to say that not […]
Schiopetto Leads the Italian Whites
We drove up the winding road through rolling green hills and vineyards stretching as far as the eye could see to Azienda Agricola Mario Schiopetto, one of the Friuli Venezia Giulia’s leading wineries. Located in the Capriva del Friuli, Schiopetto is also one of the Collio’s historical wineries. Mario Schiopetto started producing highly controversial wines […]
Wine Wednesday: Blessing of Sonoita Vineyards
The blessing of a vineyard is a centuries old tradition and the oldest winery Arizona winery doesn’t leave their grape growing to chance. Dr. Gordon Dutt was a soil scientist at the University of Arizona and established an experimental vineyard on the Babacomari Ranch back in 1973. The success of that vineyard and the quality […]
Wine Wednesday: Bitter Creek Winery
Wine tasting with a view is an understatement at Bitter Creek Winery in Jerome, Arizona. As I peered into the glass door of the winery located a top the Cleopatra Hill, the view alone was enough to draw me in. The fact that I found delicious and unique wine there was an added bonus! A […]
Wine Wednesday: Dutch Wine
As wine lovers, one of our favorite things to do is seek out unique wines or wine-related experiences. So imagine my excitement when I learned that The Netherlands produces Dutch wine! There are actually over 200 vineyards in The Netherlands, though most producers are very small and make wine as a hobby. I visited Wijnhoeve […]
Wine Wednesday: Lake Erie Wine Country
Lake Erie Wine Country runs for about 50 miles from Harborcreek, Pennsylvania (near my hometown) to Silver Creek, New York. More than 20 vineyards and wineries snake along the lake shore and with just three – yes, three! – traffic lights along the entire 50 mile route, visiting a few wineries is a perfect way […]
Wine Wednesday: Arizona Hops and Vines
We lived in Arizona for six years and I honestly didn’t even realize that grapes could grow in the desert! So when my friend Camella invited me to explore some of Sonoita’s (southern Arizona’s wine country) wineries, I couldn’t wait to see just how Arizona wine measured up. I absolutely loved the casual, cool, and […]
Wine Wednesday: Chicago’s BYOB
BYOB: Bring your own <insert the B>, be it bottle, booze, or beer. Chicago’s quirky liquor laws have led somewhere around 400 restaurants in the Windy City to implement bring your own policies, saving restaurant proprietors from long waits for expensive liquor licenses. Essentially restaurants can allow you to bring your own and provide glasses, […]
Wine Wednesday: Malbec World Day
Happy Malbec World Day to one of my very favorite red wines! Malbec is one of the “big six” of grape varieties and actually originated in the Bordeaux region of France. Though in Europe, Malbec is generally used as a blending grape and takes a backseat to other grapes. Quite the opposite on the other […]
Wine Wednesday: Finnish Wine
Traditionally Finns are not wine drinkers; they prefer beer with a family meal or they drink Vodka (supposedly about 1 liter per person per week!). Perhaps the un-enthusiasm for wine has to do with political reasons. In Finland the company Alko Oy has a monopoly over beer, wine, and spirits. Beer and spirits can be […]
