wine

Drinks Wire

Visit the Hills of Abruzzo, Italy Without Leaving Home! – Part 1
BySkyler Brown February 8, 2012February 20, 2012

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Justin Gallen, an Italian importer and one of his producers, Francesco Cirelli, a winemaker from the eastern Italian region of Abruzzo. In the first part of this interview series, Gallen discusses his passion for wine and the qualities it must possess before he brings it to the United States.

Drink of the Week (DOTW): You’re a sommelier and Italian importer of fine wines. How did … Read more

Read More Visit the Hills of Abruzzo, Italy Without Leaving Home! – Part 1
Drinks Wire

2010 Quattro Mani Barbera Review – Wine Wednesday
ByRachel Halpren February 8, 2012February 8, 2012

Quattro Mani is the brainchild of Domaine Select Wine Estates. It is an offering of second label wines from some of Italy and Slovenia’s best winemakers. The 2010 Quattro Mani Barbera is made by Danilo Droco, one of Piedmont’s greatest winemakers. Not only is the Quatro Mani Barbera a zippy little wine, it’s also a great price at $8.99 a bottle. In fact, it’s one of the best wines priced under $10 that I have … Read more

Read More 2010 Quattro Mani Barbera Review – Wine Wednesday
Drinks Wire

A History of the World In Six Glasses – Literary Monday
ByRachel Halpren February 6, 2012February 8, 2012

We spend a lot of time thinking about drinks but I was still taken aback by the impact that six beverages had on world civilization. In his book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, Tom Standage explores the effect that beer, wine, distilled spirits, tea, coffee and Coca Cola had on civilization and world history. It’s nothing short of remarkable.

Six Glasses discusses the anti-bacterial properties of beer, wine, distilled spirits and tea … Read more

Read More A History of the World In Six Glasses – Literary Monday
Drinks Wire

2010 Domaine Des Cassagnoles Cotes des Gascon Blanc – Wine Wednesday
ByRachel Halpren February 1, 2012February 12, 2012

This week’s Wine Wednesday is a bright, crisp, zippy white. The wine didn’t pretend to be anything that it wasn’t. It was simple and refreshing and evoked days of summer during the dead of winter.

The Domaine Des Cassagnoles is located in Gascony. I can’t say that I remember having a wine from Gascony before but apparently wines from there were pretty popular during the 1980’s. Since the wine industry is more like the fashion … Read more

Read More 2010 Domaine Des Cassagnoles Cotes des Gascon Blanc – Wine Wednesday
Drinks Wire

A Trip To Volcano Winery
ByMichelle Hoppe January 23, 2012February 7, 2012

On a recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I visited the Volcano National Park and nearby town of Volcano where I discovered the Volcano Winery. Situated on the slopes of Mount Kilauea, the Volcano Winery produces a number of unique wines. After a day of hiking around the rim of the caldera, through lava tubes and across fields of sulfur vents, nothing could be better than sampling locally-produced wine! I was intrigued by
… Read more

Read More A Trip To Volcano Winery
Drinks Wire

New World and Old World – High/Low Weekend
ByMario Miranda January 21, 2012

This week’s high/low weekend is a comparison of the new world and old world styles of wine. Australia is representing the new world with a Riesling from Edna Valley. I bet a few of you didn’t even know that Australia made Rieslings (you are not alone). But, they certainly do and if you enjoy Riesling with petrol characteristics, then you should really try Australia. The old world is being represented by Spain with a traditional, … Read more

Read More New World and Old World – High/Low Weekend
Drinks Wire

2010 Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherrero Review – Wine Wednesday
ByRachel Halpren January 18, 2012

The rule for Wine Wednesday is that the wine must be purchased or retail for $10 or under. But, this week, we are going to break this rule and bring you a wine that retails for $12. We tried it at our weekly wine tasting, which this week highlighted Grenache or the Spanish Granacha. This wine was uniformly adored and people were rating it very good at a $25 price point. Yet, it was a … Read more

Read More 2010 Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherrero Review – Wine Wednesday
Drinks Wire

Prohibition and the California Wine Industry
ByMichelle Hoppe January 17, 2012January 18, 2012

On January 17, 1920, the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States made “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States…for beverage purposes….” illegal. But, two little words were missing from that list: ownership, and consumption. It was those 2 words that made all the difference in the years ahead.

The Volstead Act, the body of law responsible for … Read more

Read More Prohibition and the California Wine Industry
Drinks Wire

2009 Green Truck Petit Sirah – Wine Wednesday
ByRachel Halpren January 11, 2012January 12, 2012

This bargain wine is made from certified organic grapes in Mendocino County. Mendocino County is a cool growing area just north of Sonoma and has long been a leader in the organic grape movement in the United States. What is great about this wine is that is is organic and can still be found for under $10. We paid $8.99 for it.

While you might not have heard of Green Truck Wine (the Green standing … Read more

Read More 2009 Green Truck Petit Sirah – Wine Wednesday
Winter Spice Sangria

Fresh for the New Year, Sandemam’s created this fragrant winter sangria. Great for a playoff party, for the non beer set. If you can’t find clemetines, it’s OK to substitute fresh oranges.

Winter Spice Sangria

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto
4 oz cinnamon Schnapps
3 clementines, quartered
6 oz cranberries
18 oz sparkling clementine juice or soda
6 oz cranberry juice
4 cinnamon sticks
Ground allspice to taste

Directions:

Combine Sandeman Founders
… Read more

Read More Winter Spice Sangria