I’ve spent a good amount of time getting to know (and, of course, writing about) Donnafugata, one of the largest and most important producers in Sicily. Hell, I was even present for their first-ever retrospective tasting of Ben Rye (which either makes me insanely lucky, or old, or probably both). During the previous decade+, I’ve…
Category: kick-ass wines
“Deciduous Rain-forest” Winemaking (2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case Tasting)
Virginia is a challenging spot in which to make fine wines. Yes, that’s despite global warming trends. In fact, those trends might even make it a bit more challenging. No one knows the challenges impacting that promising little corner of eastern U.S. wine making like the folks with whom I had a recent Zoom tasting:…
The Eternals, Part 1 (Graham’s Vintage Ports, 2020 – 1983)
Whoooooaaaa, boy. This past March, I had the extreme fortune to have been invited to NYC’s Manhatta for a retrospective tasting of W & J Graham’s vintage Ports, celebrating that venerable Port house’s 200th anniversary. Technically, it was their 203rd anniversary, as their initial plans for recognizing their 200th were derailed by the global COVID…
Pinot Grigio, On Caffeine (Dispatch From Collio, Part 4)
Trieste, one of the major cities of Collio wine region along the Adriatic, is known as one of the coffee capitals of the world, and as Italy’s caffeine capitol in general. Steeped in history with the stuff, I know several northern Italians who would argue that, when it comes to coffee, there’s no good reason…