Wine Archives - Page 2 of 15 - Hungry Travelers

Wine

A whirlwind tour of great Sicilian wines

Posted on February 10, 2023February 10, 2023 by David

The continuing reorganization of Sicily's wine regions, as reflected in the map above (courtesy of De Long), has brought considerable focus to what used to be a free-for-all. More than 60 varietals grow on the island, and more than two dozen are autochthonous — varieties that either originated in Sicily or have been grown here since the Phoenicians introduced advanced viticulture 3,000 years ago. I had a chance to taste some modern twists on that grand tradition when Roberto Magnisi, production director of the Duca di Salaparuta group of wineries (duca.it/en), recently came to Boston. He brought outstanding wines from two of his company's properties for a tasting luncheon at Contessa (contessaristorante.com). His group coalesced in 2001 when the Sicilian regional government sold Duca di...Read More

Toasting Santa Fe’s Day of the Dead

Posted on January 13, 2023January 10, 2023 by Pat

Someday I'll look back and say that I was there at the beginning. When my friend Patti and I left San Antonio, Texas, we flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for that city's first official Day of the Dead observances. Santa Fe's two-day gathering was more modest that San Antonio's well-established event. But what it lacked in size, it made up for in heart. We missed the Friday-night kick-off, but were on hand for the full-day of events on Saturday. Early in the day, people gathered in Santa Fe Plaza to prepare ofrendas (as the altars to deceased loved ones are called), listen to strolling mariachis, and have their faces painted as skeletons and Catrinas. As darkness fell, lights twinkled from the trees and the...Read More

Abruzzo means more than just Montepulciano

Posted on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 by Pat and David

Italy is famed primarily for its red wines, including Montepulciano in Abruzzo. But the region also produces some excellent whites. The best of them are Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, made from the regional clone of the white wine grape that accounts for nearly a third of the white wine vineyards in all of Italy. For example, Soave and Orvieto are based on the same grape. But Trebbiano displays a special character in Abruzzo that justifies going under its own name. We recently acquired a bottle of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo from Cantina Terzini (cantinaterzini.it). The Terzini family has grown grapes for generations but started making wine under its own name in 2007. Cantina Terzini has been a big success in Europe and Australia but is still seeking an American...Read More

Montepulciano spearheads the wines of Abruzzo

Posted on November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 by Pat and David

For one of the most-exported of Italian wines, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo seems to fly under the radar for most Americans. As a rule of thumb, just remember that these DOC wines represent the best value in Italian reds. They are perfect, by the way, with Thanksgiving dinner. Just make sure you read the labels carefully. Many producers give their wines fanciful names like Ottobre Rosso (Red October) or Divus (Rich). Look for the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC indication on the capsule. Unless your family hails from Abruzzo, you might not even know where the region is located. Geography says it's central, but most references call it southern Italy because of the cultural links to the south. The main thing to remember is that Abruzzo is a green,...Read More

Table wines return to the Málaga region

Posted on October 23, 2022October 20, 2022 by Pat and David

There' s a quiet wine revolution brewing in the Axarquía hills between Málaga and Nerja along Spain's southern coast. And it's based on a grape that either the Greeks or the Carthaginians brought here roughly 3,000 years ago. Locals call it Moscatel de Alejandría, though much of the international wine industry knows the grape as Muscat of Alexandria. North African in origin, it requires an incredibly dry climate because the grapes are very prone to mold. That makes it perfect for the mountains just inland from the Málaga coast. It's usually associated with dessert wines. But Moscatel can be coaxed to produce a delicious table wine. Just ask Clara Verheij, the winemaker at Bodegas Bentomiz (Finca El Almendro, Pago Cuesta Robano, Sayalonga; +34 633 049...Read More

Clean-crafted wines show their mettle

Posted on September 6, 2022August 31, 2022 by Pat and David

We're suspicious of food or drink that purports to have certain health benefits. The recent boom in ‶clean wine″ is a case in point. From the marketing, we expect every low-fat vegan bottle to arrive rolled up in a yoga mat. That's not wine. But in the world of clean wine, there's a refreshing alternative that seems well-grounded in both taste and science. Scout & Cellar (scoutandcellar.com) is a 5-year-old company that makes and markets wine that comes with what they call a Clean Crafted Commitment®. It's their registered trademark. They apply it to wine that's grown with no synthetic pesticides, vinified without synthetic additives or added sweetener, then lab tested after bottling to confirm that nothing untoward snuck in. Many of the wines carry...Read More

Knotty Vines: overachieving everyday wines

Posted on July 9, 2022July 7, 2022 by Pat and David

Courtesy Rodney Strong Wines If ‶Knotty Vines″ sounds familiar, you might be a fan of old-vine Zinfandel from Rodney Strong Wines. A zin pioneer, the Sonoma producer created the name for its wines made from its oldest vines. The company has now resurrected the name as an umbrella for a new line of modestly priced wines aimed squarely at millennials. Moreover, they've put the company's resident millennial winemaker, Olivia Wright (at right), in charge of making them. Wright explained that Knotty Vines was conceived to be an approachable and affordable entry point for new wine consumers. ‶It's a challenge for the whole industry,″ she said. ‶So I talk to family and friends about what they like. The word I hear a lot is 'smooth,' which...Read More

Summer’s ‘la vie en rose’ begins by Public Garden

Posted on June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 by Pat and David

The summer solstice may be a few weeks away, but balmy temperatures, bright sun, and unusually vigorous rose blooms have us thinking summer already. Our penchant for white wines fits the summer well, but we also tend to keep a bottle or two of rosé in the vegetable drawer. Pink wine is the perfect foil for summer food. Sommelier Andrew Thompson of Bistro du Midi (272 Boylston Street, Boston; 617-279-8000; bistrodumidi.com) agrees. In fact, the French bistro overlooking the Public Garden is going all out with rosés this summer in a reprise of the popular Tour de Rosé promotion. Two wines are featured each month along with some signature menu items from executive chef/partner Robert Sisca. For June, it's the Grenache/Cinsault Château Sainte-Marguerite from the...Read More

Wine tourism the hard way: Requena by train

Posted on April 28, 2022April 28, 2022 by Pat and David

The ease of wine touring in the United States has spoiled us. Wine tourism in the Valencia region requires more planning. The wineries are largely rural and unreachable by public transit, and visits and tastings are usually by reservation. Most serious oenophiles book a tour of several bodegas and lunch with one of a handful of companies in Valencia. We decided to do it on our own. Reasoning that the most important district was D.O. Utiel-Requena and that Requena had the most wineries, we headed there on the C3 local train. That's the old city plaza at the top of this post. Requena is about 40 miles inland, but the trip takes nearly two hours. The train backtracks on one spur and negotiates some slow...Read More

May your New Year bubble over with joy!

Posted on December 28, 2021December 20, 2021 by Pat and David

Popping open a bottle of sparkling wine seems like an occasion in itself. But when we perused our Google Photos feed with the search term ‶champagne,″ we were reminded of occasion after occasion of good times, good food, good drink, and good company. See the photo montage for a taste of cava, crémant, Champagne, Prosecco, or just plain sparkling wine. Cheers! Prost! Salud!