WINE TRAIL

Cono Sur Ocio Pinot Noir

Ocio, a concept born in ancient times and deeply rooted in classic philosophy, is that sacred and well-earned pause after life’s stresses are taken care of and your spirit is free to grow, contemplate and create—it is also the namesake of Chile’s first premium Pinot Noir.

Cono Sur Vineyards and Winery can take the credit here. Founded in 1993 around the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in Chile and employing sustainable agricultural and organic farming practices, they have hit the nail on the head with Ocio.

Cono Sur dove into this project in 1999 with the sole intention of producing Chile’s best Pinot Noir and from my perspective, they have done just that. Experienced Pinot Noir winemaker Martin Prieur led the charge to deliver this beautiful bottle. With hand-harvested, foot trodden grapes, aged in new French oak barrels, this is a serious winner. I have been back to the store three times to share my More>>>

Laetitia Sparkles

Comprising 1,888 acres, with 620 acres currently planted to grape vines, the Laetitia estate vineyard has the largest privately owned Pinot Noir planting in California. Winemaker Dave Hickey, started at the vineyard when it was still Maison Deutz in 1990 and now oversees the sparkling wine production.

We sampled the 2011 sparkling rosé and were truly impressed. This refreshing, traditional salmon colored sparkling wine with its floral and strawberry aromas is pleasing to both the eyes and nose. Earthy richness of Pinot Noir marries with hints of soft melon. Undertones of citrus come through on the palate and leave with a clean crisp finish. This wine is perfect as an aperitif to start a holiday feast, yet it is rich enough to stand up to grilled fish or white meats. More>>>

Château Tanunda Delivers a Taste of History

On a recent, gorgeous summer evening in Manhattan, I boarded the Grand Barossa— Château Tanunda’s 100-foot yacht that has been traversing the water’s of the U.S. coastline to spread the word about the spectacular wines of Australia. Since setting sail from Boca Raton on May 6th, they have called at some 18 ports and held 65 events in 60 days. Touring the East Coast of America, over 1100 guests have boarded this magnificent vessel and the results are unanimous—the wines of Château Tanunda are spectacular. From the Shiraz, to the Chardonnay, to the Cabernet Sauvignon, this is one quality product that boasts a rich history and colorful ownership. More>>>

La Vieille Ferme Récolte 2013

Situated east of the southern tip of Cotes du Rhone, near the town of Villes-sur-Auzon, at the foot of the Mont-Ventoux, Jean Pierre Perrin established La Vieille Ferme over 35 years ago. The Perrin family, owners of the famous Chateau de Beaucastel, are the producers of this excellent rosé wine. This delicious blend is made from Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault and has a beautiful pinkish hue and a floral nose with hints of aniseed and brown sugar.

Introduced to the United States in 1970, La Vieille Ferme is acclaimed for its consistently fine quality and value. This is quite simply the perfect wine for a sunny day. More >>>

Massolino Wines and Their Passion for Barolo

The history of this winery dates back to 1896 when Giovanni Massolino founded the estate and his son Giuseppe founded the first wine cellar in the region of Serralunga d’Alba. They have recently been launched in the USA, and their classic Barolo wine is made with Nebbiolo grapes cultivated 360 meters above sea level. The entire estate is twenty-three hectares in and around the village of Serralunga, and the portion dedicated to Barolo is 7 hectares. The soil is very calcerous, with variations from zone to zone, and it certainly helps that at More>>>

Wrath Wines and Their Connection to Ancient Italy

The Wrath Winery is located in North Monterey County in the area of the Santa Lucia Highlands, or to be more specific in Soledad. Wrath is a relative new company only created in 2007 by winemaker Michael Thomas who took over the San Saba Vineyard from his stepfather. This archeologist and art historian has produced some very nice wines in a price range of $19-$49 which include chardonnay, pinot noir More>>>

Traveling through Italy in 126 Sips

Eleven regions and 126 sips later, my opinion on Italian wines has changed forever. Italian wines have always been a mystery to me, whether it was the names of the vineyards, their regions or sometimes the taste—there was always a cloud of mystery surrounding them. All of this changed last night at a “Slow Wine” Italian wine Tasting. Slow Wine provides a new perspective to Italian wines and vineyards, focusing on quality, price, environmental sustainability and of course, taste. Slow Wine has taken each of these criteria into consideration for each of their wine tasting events, which was effectively seen last night. This marked their 3rd Italian wine tasting in New York City—one that finally uncovered the veil of mystery and answered much of my More>>>

Villa San Juliette Chorum 2012

The term Chorum is used in the performing arts to denote the “coming together of a select group of voices,” and this blend exemplifies this essence. Approximately 64 percent Roussanne, 12 percent Grenache Blanc, 12 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 9 percent Pinot Grigio and 3 percent Albariño, this is a special white wine that is expressive, fruit-driven and well balanced. More>>>

Introducing Sufi Wines

Sam Bhatia, founder of Sufi Wines, decided to once and for all take the lead and develop an appropriate selection of wines, specifically designed to pair with the bold spice palate of Indian cuisine. Truly passionate about the food of his homeland, he realized that pairing wines with this fare was difficult at best—there never seemed to be the right selection and like many would revert back to the old standby, beer.

He has solved this dilemma with his new collection of French wines created specifically for Indian cuisine, Mirza Ghalib. The brand’s namesake, Mirza Ghalib, was the greatest Indian poet of the 19th More>>>

Helfrich Wines

Helfrich wines come from Alsace in Northern France and it is one of only fifty one vineyards that have the Grand Cru designation. The vineyard dates back to the reign of King Childebert 11 (589AD), and the Helfrich family has now been involved for six generations. Despite that history, the brand is hardly known in the USA and the vineyard does not even have its own website. However these wines are well worth tracking down and are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. More>>>

Marchesi Antinori

Marchesi Antinori, the family-owned Italian wine company that has shaped the wine industry and culture over the past 625 years, has announced the official opening of its revolutionary, state-of-the-art facility in Bargino, Italy: Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Cellar. This groundbreaking project, scheduled to open to the public in the spring of 2013, will be the first time in Antinori’s illustrious history that visitors will be able experience the family’s winemaking process first-hand, learn about the family’s history and view the family’s prized, centuries-old art collection. More>>>

Grog Meets Mulled Wine

This recipe is somewhat of a blend of grog and mulled wine. Mulled (or spiced) wine was popular in Victorian England at Christmas and grog originally referred to a drink made with water or “small beer” (a weak beer) and rum, which British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the Royal Navy in 1740. Both are great cold weather treats that will keep you and your friends warm on these chilly winter nights and this blend of the two will have them coming back for more! More>>>

Graffigna

Recently, I had the pleasure of dining at BLT Steak in New York. The occasion—a paired tasting designed to highlight the wines of Graffigna, a superb and historical Chilean winery. Founded in 1870 by Italian immigrant Santiago Graffigna in San Juan, Argentina, drinking Graffigna wines are like stepping back in time.

We got started with a Tuna Tartare (crispy shallots and soy vinaigrette) and the Crab Cakes (meyer lemon and radish salad). This was exquisitely paired with the Graffigna® Centenario 2011 Pinot Grigio. This 100% Pinot Grigio held its own beautifully More>>>

A Search For the Most Expensive Rose Wine in the World

I was not aware that almost 85% of the wines from the idyllic region of Provence were in fact Rosé These wines are used as a welcoming tool for friends and visitors alike, and are made for sharing. The grape growing tradition in the region dates back thousands of years, and although certain Provencal wines have a solid worldwide reputation, others remain an undiscovered secret. If you think that Rosé is an uninspiring wine for food pairings More>>>

Checking Out Some New and Inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs

Here are a few new ones to try that are excellent value specially imported by the Alabama based Vineyard brands. They list over 60 hand-picked producers from France, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. They have been virtually solely responsible for introducing South African Chardonnay to the USA market such as the highly rated Hamilton Russell 2012 ($32).

Here are a few new ones to try that are excellent value specially imported by the Alabama based Vineyard brands. They list over 60 hand-picked producers More>>>

Chandon Rosé

Rosé style wines have exploded in popularity as consumers discover their versatility with food pairing. For me, I like it standing alone as well, and on a particularly hot day in New York City—sparkling please!

Chandon Rosé, with its refreshing strawberry and plum notes and vibrant pink color, is the perfect sparkling Rosé. It is exceptional in both flavor and appearance due to the addition of still More>>>

Cupcake Vineyard

Yes the name is slightly strange for a line of wines, but Cupcake Vineyards in Soledad, California, have recently launched a series of wines that deserve some attention for those of you always searching out new wines. The wines currently on the market are Cupcake Chardonnay, Cupcake Merlot, Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon and Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc. All are priced at $14.99 and represent good quality in that price range, and at a recent tasting with winemaker Adam Richardson, I tried them all and came away with a very favourable opinion.

All are very fresh tasting, and the Chardonnay in particular was very untypical, with a fruity structure and a buttermilk taste. The region of Soledad is warm in the More>>>