As I finish up an excellent (though whirlwind) jaunt to Collio, my latest piece for Napa Valley Wine Academy has been published, focused (somewhat ironically, considering it’s at the opposite end of Italy from where I’ve just visited) on the wines and producers of Sicily’s Etna. The wine cognoscenti love to wax philosophically about “volcanic”…
Category: on the road
On the Road Again! (CO Governor’s Cup Wine Competition 2022)
It’s with great, great pleasure that I report this quick hit update, letting you know that I will be one of the judges at the 2022 Colorado Governor’s Cup wine competition in Denver, held August 19-21! This one is exciting for several reasons. First, the organizers of this event have been trying to make me…
Alentejo Sizzles and the Wine Biz Fizzles (Recent NVWA Articles)
Just a quick hit today to tell you about my most recent articles for the Napa Valley Wine Academy. The latest is my final report from my Alentejo media jaunt, focusing on a handful of the region’s producers who are turning Alentejo’s reputation as a hot area pumping out ripe, enormous wines a bit on…
Alentejo Postcard, Part 5 (“Lost Art” – José de Sousa Recent Releases)
Making wine at J.M. da Fonseca’s José de Sousa in Portugal seems, from what I can discern, like a huge pain the ass. First, they’re fans of lagare foot-treading their grapes, an effort that is full of, well, effort. Next, when they do use basket presses, they’re covered in a specially approved blue paint that…