As I was looking for a wine to blog about this week, I came across a grape I had never heard of: The Picpoul (also seen with the spelling Piquepoul). It is grown primarily in the Rhone Valley and Languedoc regions of France as well as Catalonia, Spain. It exists both in dark-skinned (Picpoul no...

Malbec is a red grape, originally from France in areas such as Cahors and Bordeaux, that has found fame across the seas in Argentina, flourishing particularly well in the foothills of the Andes in the region of Mendoza, in Argentina’s Cuyo region. These wines are classically described as full-b...

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape varietal that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. It is the momma-grape to the Cabernet Sauvignon. The papa-grape is the well known Cabernet Franc.  The Sauvignon blanc most likely gets its name from the French words 'sauvage' (wi...

Quick & Tangy Bruschetta 

This is one of my favorite appetizers. It pairs well with wine. ;) Minimal but quality ingredients.

Ingredients

*A fresh loaf of Italian bread 

*5 or 6 vine-ripe tomatoes (or any favorite), chopped into small pieces and placed in a small bowl

*3 Tables...

In the foothills of Mount Vulture in Basilicata, southern Italy, some of the greatest wines are grown. The volcanic soil often imparts extra depth of flavors and minerals.  Last September I did a blog on this wine. (Aglianico, A Southern Italian Gem - The Working Mom). I wanted to ...

Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley California has always been a favorite of mine. Having visited many years ago, the tasting room, cellars, and the vineyard itself is so impressive. Their Merlot is the most notable of their wines, but all of their wines are top rated and delicious. If you've ever see...

Our ancestors drank beer, wine, and mead. They have been for 9000+ years. No one is certain, but it's likely that barley got wet (and fermented), grape juice sat too long (and fermented), and water sweetened with honey, sat too long (and fermented). My guess is the folks who tried this stuff were ki...

The three main grapes used in Champagne production are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, both “black” grapes, and Chardonnay, a light-skinned grape. 

In Champagne, the term Blanc de Blancs designates Champagnes made only from Chardonnay grapes, whereas Blanc de Noir is created using only Pinot Noir or ...

Gamay..... sounds like something you would shout as you win a round of some game.... but it's actually a grape varietal, and sometimes a great one at that. Gamay was originally planted just outside of the Burgundy region of France in a region calle...

Wine Wednesdays often involve a glass of wine, so as I toast to the future ahead, I thought I would also reflect on our past with some famous wine quotes........

*He really was a wise old man.....

*Lover of wine from the 8th century BC

*Galileo was forever the scientist, but he also loved his vino........

Before I started learning about Champagne, I merely thought it was just sparkling white wine. I had zero concept of the rules, regulations, and deeply rooted history that went into this incredible wine. This week, I'd like to journey back to France, in the Champagne appellation. This is a place of m...

Happy New Year! You may think that Wine Wednesday is a random thing. Why have "Wine Wednesday"? For me, I thought the phrase just sounded catchy, but after doing some digging, there is actually some research behind the mid-week glass of vino. 

According to Cobevco, (a United Kingdom wi...

The Hungarian wine industry can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Through the mid-1900s, Hungary saw a decline in the quality wine while the country was under communist rule. Quantity and profit for exports was favored over quality. It wasn't until the 1990s that the Hungarian wi...

It's not typical for me to walk into a store and buy a Greek wine. I never knew much about them and now I know why....The quality of Greek wine has supposedly improved dramatically since the 1980s, and more of them have been appearing in the United St...

Before last week I had never tasted a Chenin Blanc. Mind blown. I've always been more of a red wine drinker, especially in the winter and fall, but I think as I study more wines from around the world, my palate has definitely grown. I have always appreciated Champagne, Prosecco, and Chardonnay (my f...

I'll try to blame it on my Italian upbringing that I'm drawn to Chianti, but it's not really true, I just love the way it tastes. I envision the beautiful Tuscan Cypress trees, colorful poppies in the fields, and a distant villa, surrounded by grape vines......If only I could board the plane now.......

The red wine known as Valpolicella is typically made from four grape varieties: Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara. It is a full-bodied wine with deep garnet colors, flavors of wild cherries, jam, vanilla, coc...

Ever wonder where the idea for the wine cork came from? Up until the mid-17th century, wine bottles were sealed with clay, fabric, wax, and leather. Glass became more commonly used, but would often fracture and break into the bottle, as those closures were often difficult to remove. At that time, ea...