~ Cypresses line the road to Poggio Antico ~ High atop the Montalcino hill sits the manicured estate of Poggio Antico. For decades, this pristine location has been overseen by the Gloder family and today, it is helmed by their…
Continue reading~ The Lone Oak that inspires the estate’s name ~ Querciabella – “Beautiful Oak” – was founded in 1974 by Giuseppe Castiglioni and today is run by his determined and passionate son Sebastiano. Since 1988 the estate has been organically…
Continue reading~ The Mediterranean Sea near Castagneto Carducci, home to Tenuta Campo al Mare ~ Like many reputable Italian wine making families, the Folonari’s are no stranger to the renaissance that has occurred on the western coast of Tuscany. Since the…
Continue readingLast month I was fortunate to cover the annual Vias Portfolio tasting in New York. I was permitted to arrive 30 minutes earlier than the general public and was able to visit with several producers before it got crowded. Overall, …
Continue reading~ Cinque Terre ~ Summer means crab! Whether soft shells served with pasta like the recipe we featured last weekend, or blue claw meat that can be used in many different ways. Most recently, I created a delicious risotto from…
Continue readingFounded in 2002, the Arcanum estate is the sister property to Tenuta di Arceno and sits in the Commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Tracing its roots to the Etruscan era, the estate now encompasses approximately 200 acres of vines which are…
Continue reading~ The Carpineto Estate in Montalcino ~ Everyone has a “Wine Epiphany”. Whether it’s the wine that moved you from sweet wines to dry, or from white to red, every serious wine drinker can likely point to a wine that…
Continue reading~ Is this the Centuries old road traversed by Anglican Monks? ~ If you’re student of wine and a student of history, it will be fairly easy to realize that Tempranillo has its origins in Spain and doesn’t “belong” in…
Continue reading~ The Antipasti platter at Gnocco made for a nice start to the lunch ~ Last month I had the opportunity to linger over lunch with family proprietor Valeria Losi from Agricola Querciavalle. We spotlighted this amazing family estate in…
Continue reading~ Donatella’s team working in the cellar ~ Prima Donna, first lady of the stage……. In 1998, after a contentious familial split, Donatella Cinelli Colombini left her family’s estate to start her own endeavour. As part of the agreement, Donatella emerged…
Continue reading