What do you do when your identity, your story, and even your best efforts are only seen through the contextual lens of your more famous cousins? Besides developing an inferiority complex, I mean? After all, major characters in Greek tragedies were written with this stuff in mind; and it happens to be the defining lucha…
Category: wine review
Long Notes (Selva Capuzza Recent – And Not-So-Recent – Releases)
Like most musicians (ask me how I know), Luca Formentini has a day job. That job would be helping to helm his family’s wine business in Brescia: Selva Capuzza. As far as day jobs go, the one with an office that’s actually a picturesque vineyard spot about four kilometers from the shores of Lake Garda,…
The Week That Terrantez Took Over My Brain (Tasting Old Terrantez Madeira)
“As uvas de Terrantez Não as coma nem as dês, Para vinho Deus as fez.” * Earlier this month, I had what amounted to a kind of dream speaking gig for me: leading Madeira masterclasses in both Boston (at Committee) and NYC (at Rouge Tomate Chelsea). Pinch meeeeeee!!!! I was a hired gun for these…
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2017 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition Highlights)
I was once again fortunate enough to be invited to judge at the annual Critics Challenge International Wine competition, which took place late last month in Stay-Classy San Diego. CC is always one of the highlights of my professional year; the organizers, volunteers, and fellow judges are all top-notch, and the fact that they’re also great…