Like all great wine regions, the wine region surrounding the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy, has its own story. Piedmont is famous for its Barbaresco and Barolo wines, and they are considered by many to be the absolute elite of the elite Italian wines. As a result, the wine region can bring tears of joy to culinary travelers, and I’m not afraid to say it: I batted a ... Read Full Article
Wine and Kitron Tasting on the Greek Isles
My introduction to Greek wines was during my first visit to Santorini, Greece some thirty years ago. I fell in love with Lava wine, from the Koutsoyannopoulos’ Volcan Wineries, on the island. Perhaps I was attracted first by the appealing label: a copy of a Minoan fresco with a fisherman holding bundles of his catch. But when I tasted the wine, a medium rose with a velvety taste and ... Read Full Article
Douja D’Or: Asti’s Celebration of Food and Wine
Douja D’Or , which means Pitcher of Gold, is a ten-day celebration of the outstanding wines and foods of the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy. Wine production is hugely important here. In the Piedmont province of Asti, miles of vineyards stripe the hillsides, growing fat clusters of grapes that will become some of the world’s best wines. From old Nebbiolo vines come the deep, ... Read Full Article
Eating the Adriatic – The Dalmatian Wine Scene
I’m on a bus cruising up the Dalmatian Coast to the coastal city of Split. Croatian music blasts: a combination of deep-throated Slavic folk singing with what sounds like wood blocks, a harpsichord, and alarm clocks. The Adriatic Sea is directly below me on the left (there aren’t enough guardrails, fyi) and Croatia’s 1,183—wait, scratch that, they just recounted—1,244 islands are all out ... Read Full Article
Italy’s Boccaccesca Food and Wine Festival
If you’ll be in Florence this October, the Boccaccesca Food and Wine Festival is a must see. Not only does it feature the region’s best traditional food and wine, of which there is a whole lot, the festival is located in the rolling Tuscan countryside, just a few miles from the heart of the Chianti region. Now in its 11th year, the festival takes place in the town of Certaldo, the first and second ... Read Full Article
European Wine Guide: Spain
Have you ever looked at labels on European wine bottles and wondered about the meaning of AOC, DOGC, or QmP? Look no further. In my European Wine Guide series (organized by country), I will take you through a crash course in wine classifications and varietals found in major wine-producing regions throughout Europe. Let’s continue our “wine tour” in Spain. The Spanish wine classification system ... Read Full Article
European Wine Guide: Italy
Have you ever looked at labels on European wine bottles and wondered about the meaning of AOC, DOGC, or QmP? Look no further. In my European Wine Guide series (organized by country), I will take you through a crash course in wine classifications and varietals found in major wine-producing regions throughout Europe. Let’s start our “wine tour” in Italy. The Italian wine ... Read Full Article