Informal

We kick off a New Year of Wine Wednesday on January 5th, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/New York Time with a discussion of one of my favorite wine regions, that being the region of Alsace, France. Alsace is a land of rich historic background that marries both French and German culture to present the best…

Our next Wine Wednesday on January 12th at 7:00 pm Eastern Time takes us to a somewhat unsung, yet fascinating region of France known as South West France (or, Sud-Ouest as the French call it). As the folks at Wine Folly say: “If you like Bordeaux but not the prices, then the South West region…

Our next Wine Wednesday on January 19th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/New York Time revolves around the wines of the Balkans. As wine regions go, the Balkans comprises one that is lesser known by most, yet possesses more ancient roots in practicing the craft of winemaking than today’s more well-known wine regions. There are eleven countries…

Our next episode of Wine Wednesday takes place on January 26th at 7:00 pm Eastern Time and features “The Wines of Sicily,” the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. This island, located at the “toe of the boot” as described by the shape of the Italian Peninsula…

Many grapes are what we call “cool climate grapes.” Think Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Rkatsiteli. Also consider a number of cooler climate hybrid grapes like Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and Marquette. Such grapes reflect their true typicity when grown in cooler growing regions. These grapes can also grow in warmer regions; but,…

Our next Wine Wednesday episode on February 9th at 7:00 pm Eastern/New York time is “Wines from Indigenous Grapes.” This topic almost screams “Italy!” The Italian peninsula is home to nearly 25% of the world’s 1,200+ recognized wine grape varieties. But, many other wine regions and countries can also claim a number of wine grapes…

This week’s Wine Wednesday episode on February 16th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern focuses on one of my most favorite wine regions in the whole world, i.e. that of Piemonte (Italy). This region is in the northwest of Italy and is bordered on the western side by a mountain range that separates Italy and France. It…

Our topic for Wine Wednesday on February 23rd at 7:00 pm Eastern time examines the wines of Veneto, Italy. This region is in the northeastern corner of “the boot” that describes the peninsula that is Italy. It is generally a cooler climate for growing grapes. The Veneto region produces more whites than reds under the…

Our next Wine Wednesday on March 2nd at 7:00 pm Eastern (New York) Time features “the Wines of Tuscany, Italy”. Tuscany is the land of the Sangiovese grape. This wine region is located on the western coast of central Italy and is home to Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano red wines…

Our next installment of Wine Wednesday on March 9th at 7:00 pm Eastern Time embraces the wines that emanate from the Rioja region of Spain. The Rioja (phonetic spelling RREE’-OH’-hah) is the oldest Designation of Origin in Spain (1925) and the first to earn Calificada status (1991). A broad yet landlocked geographic expanse stretching from…

Our next Wine Wednesday on March 16th at 7:00 pm Eastern Time will examine the wines from Washington State. Such a vast expanse of potential wine growing acreage, Washington State is only scratching the surface of what it will eventually achieve, both in terms of grape varieties that are continually being added to their region…