Shortly after I returned from Puglia and Radici del Sud, I turned around and went back to the airport. This time, back to one of my favorite cities on the planet earth
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June has been just a crazy month for me! I hope yours has been calmer. I've barely been able to enjoy any wine at all. Eek! So, I'm looking forward to a quiet July. Now that I have time to enjoy wine again, what will I be drinking? What will you be drinking in July? Read on and find out what your horoscope suggests! Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Feeling stuck? At work, in your relationships, at life in general? Feeling like you're not making progress in your life can be frustrating. And the more frustrated you feel, the more stuck you become. At times like this, don't stubbornly wave your
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Now in its 17th year (or rather having just completed its 17th year), Radici del Sud turns the spotlight on wines from indigenous vines and oils from Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Sicily, Abruzzo, Molise, and Sardegna. Radici del Sud Aside from probably Sicily and even Puglia itself, wines from southern Italy get less attention than those from central and northern Italy. The south has long served as a bulk wine producer for not only Italy but other areas in Europe. However, over the last few decades, producers have shifted from bulk into quality production. As Katarina said in her recent piece, How Radici del Sud Highlights the Potential of Southern Italian Wines,
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Day 2 for the Radici del Sud press tour dawned early after a late night return from Giovanni Aiello. We woke up to remnants of rain from the evening before which pushed back our departure time for our morning winery tour. Only one winery appeared on our schedule for today, but one is enough when we're learning about Primitivo from Fatalone. Fatalone and Primitivo If Primitivo is king in Puglia, Fatalone is the power behind the throne. This small, historic, family winery got its start when Petrera Nicola built his winery in Gioia del Colle. He chose to plant on a hill called Spinomarino, known for its lofty, well-aired, and
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Let me begin with post with a small freak out about OMG MY FIRST PRESS TOUR/JUDGING! Thanks to Katarina at Grapevine Adventures, I was asked last year to join the journalist contingent at Radici del Sud. However, due to Italy's travel restrictions at the time, I was unable to do so in the end. Happily, the founder Nicola Campanile kept my name and invited me back this year. [caption id="attachment_17721" align="alignleft" width="351"] botti at Cantine Rivera[/caption] I felt beyond thrilled and honored to be part of this. Not only was this my entrée to the world of wine judging, but I would be doing so alongside the likes of people I have
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Most of my May seedlings have perished due to neglect. I'm afraid this is not going to be my year for plants! I'm travelling too much during these sensitive, early weeks. Despite the likelihood that my balcony won't be quite as picturesque as it was last year, I am looking forward to sitting out there with some wine! What will I be drinking? What will you be drinking in June? Read on and find out what your horoscope suggests! Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Things are heating up this month, Aquarius, and I don't mean just the weather! Get your flirt on this month! Don't be afraid to make the first
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I am so excited to post another article about the book! Several years ago, I wrote a piece, Grape Expectations, for Culinary Backstreets. And now I'm featured on their site! The local buzz about the book makes me so happy and I feel very grateful. CB Book Club: Andrea Lemieux's The Essential Guide To Turkish Wines For this week’s CB Book Club installment, we caught up with Andrea Lemieux, author of The Essential Guide to Turkish Wine: An exploration of one of the oldest and most unexpected wine countries (Canoe Tree Press, 2021). In this exhaustive nearly 300-page guide, Lemieux, a WSET Level 2-certified wine expert and blogger behind The
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I don't know about you, but I have been thrilled with our weather the last week or two of April! I'm not ready yet for summer so I hope it holds steady. My seeds are all planted (some are even sprouting, huzzah!) and I look forward to chilling on the balcony with my plants, my cats, and some nice wine. What will you be drinking in May? Read on and find out what your horoscope suggests! Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Along with the flowers I planted on my balcony, your growth and maturity are blossoming. The last few years have thrown more than a few challenges your way but
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A few months ago, thanks to Lisa Morrow of Inside Out In Istanbul, Lisa Futterman reached out to me for an interview about the book!. Lisa F, freelance drinks writer and contributor to The Alcohol Professor, fell in love with Turkey during a previous visit and, in her own words, is obsessed with Turkish wine. My new best friend! How Andrea Lemieux Became an Expert & Advocate for Turkish Wine When Andrea Lemieux moved to Istanbul from the US in 2012, she quickly realized she had a lot to learn about Turkish wine. Inspired, she passed the WSET levels 1&2 (in Turkish!), started a blog, The Quirky Cork, and wrote
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Last year, one of my most popular posts was an interview with Uçmakdere winemaker Işıl Bulutsuz. A number of people asked for more interviews. One of my goals this year is to do just that. I am getting a bit of a late start since it's already April! It did take me a while to figure out video editing (which as you'll see is still very much a work in progress). Anyway, I'm finally able to post my first interview. Tina Lino While she's not Turkish, I decided to start with Tina Lino, who, unlike many of the foreign winemakers and consultants working with wineries here, actually lives here. And,
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