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by Marty Cook Some of you may have participated in the “Wine Wednesdays” Virtual Wine Tasting (VWT) events that I hosted from late July 2020 through mid-November 2020. With the mounting pressures of other personal responsibilities, I made the decision to discontinue those events before Thanksgiving. And, although my other responsibilities have not lessened, I…

Wine Wednesday (the continued quest for lesser known grapes)                                  by Marty Cook Our Pennsylvania Wine Society Wine Wednesday event this past week was such a success that a consensus of its participants determined we should repeat the same theme again! For those of you who were unable to attend our last Wine Wednesday, the challenge…

Wine Wednesday ~ Wines of the Southern Hemisphere      by Marty Cook As we begin to wrap up our winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, our neighbors in the Southern Hemisphere are entering their harvest season!  It is winemaking time every six months in the world, depending on which half of the globe you inhabit. Just…

Wine Wednesday - Focus on White Blends      by Marty Cook Wine Wednesday fans are gearing up for an evening of white blends!  This may cause some of our faithful to go scrambling, as the general preference among some is for red wines.  But, as someone said last night, that’s the purpose of these Wine Wednesday…

Wine Wednesday Featuring Red Blends          by Marty Cook Our next Wine Wednesday on March 24th features Red Blends!  This event falls on the heels of our Saint Patty’s Day Wine Wednesday when we featured White Blends, some of which “accidentally” turned green!  Leprechauns may have been involved.   Everyone enjoyed themselves so much that we decided…

Wine Wednesday ~ Wines For the Passover and Easter Seasons    by Marty Cook What are you serving this season?  Just as important is the wine or wines that you will pair with that food!  Have a traditional pairing?  Or, need ideas? This seasonal fare is generally lighter fare.  Wines that work are generally light to…

Wine Wednesday ~ “The Joys of Cheap Wine”    by Marty Cook This installment of Wine Wednesday is inspired by the book of the same title by Henry Billings. If you have never picked up a copy of this easily read yet hilarious primmer extoling the virtues of cheap wines, then you are missing out!  So,…

Wines Made from Hybrid Grapes       by Marty Cook We are all familiar with the short list of so called “Noble Grapes” that includes such favorite European or Vitis vinifera grape varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling.  But, what about grape varieties with names such as Seyval Blanc, Chambourcin, Norton, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, and…

by Marty Cook Similar to the way in which many of us consistently seem to buy wines made from the same 15 - 18 grapes, it seems that many of us also tend to choose our European wines primarily from France and Italy.  The interesting thing is that the vast majority of European countries make…

Wines For Cinco de Mayo      by Marty Cook Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Cinco de Mayo is an annual Mexican celebration held on May 5.  The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862.  This event is not a federal holiday in…