From forbidden fruit to the blood of Christ, grapevines and our beloved wine have been the subjects of myths and religion since the beginning of time. Ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun’s tomb contained 26 wine jars made with wines by 15 winemakers (pg. 59). Dionysus had many names and ruled several vegetative subjects, but reined supreme…
The Secret Garden of Bolivian Wine
This week’s intimate wine tasting with a producer was one that was completely new to me. I’ve been labeled as someone who revels in all the weird little niche regions–like I started ringing the bell on Virginia wine years ago when everyone still thought nothing of it, and I recently had an eye-opening experience with…
Charming Chilean Carménère
Few grapes have been so widely misunderstood as Chilean Carménère. Once thought to be nothing more than Merlot, this grape has had a pretty short lifespan as its own namesake in the country where it is now considered a flagship. It was in 1994, just about 25 years ago that Carménère was discovered to be…
American Wines for an American Holiday in Biscayne Times
The holiday season is back! Whether you plan on celebrating like normal or keeping it more low-key this year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the others will be here before you even know it! Will you be hosting any (small) holiday meals this year? For those of us who still plan on putting a turkey on…
Tasting Texas Hill Country Wine at Fall Creek Vineyards on Winetraveler.com
Finally, some fresh winetasting content in 2020 from a new-to-me winery. We had the opportunity to visit Fall Creek Vineyards at their Driftwood, Texas location earlier this month. Wow, what a great little family-owned winery in Texas Hill Country. Ed & Susan Auler are just the sweetest owners, full of hospitality & stories. Tasting Texas…
Get To Know Portugal’s New World of Wine (WOW): Discover History, Culture & Wine in Portugal on Winetraveler.com
Remember overseas traveling? Wasn’t that grand? You just book a ticket, sometimes last minute, and hop on a plane to almost anywhere your heart desired. Well, those days are gone as of now, so it’s time to think about simply planning… for the next time we can move about freely around the world. Knowing myself,…
Fall in Love with Beaujolais, New Biscayne Times Wine Column
Well, 2020 has been quite the year, right? Between hoarding toilet paper, global pandemics, national lockdowns, and a crazy election, we’ve been through a lot together. For many of us, the year has brought some good with the bad, and that’s something to be thankful for as we close out these last few months. For…
Bodegas CARO: A Partnership in Wine
What happens when you combine two historically significant winemaking families from iconic regions in the Old and New World in a historic winery location set to the backdrop of the Andes Mountains? It may seem like a dream for many wine lovers, but this scenario does, in fact, exist in real life at Bodegas CARO…
Florida Gulf Coast Travel Guide: Road Trip Itinerary on Winetraveler.com
If you’ve been following me on social media (@historyandwine), it’s no secret that I’ve been spending some time on the west coast of Florida while all the hoop-la is going on in Miami. It has been such a nice change of pace to experience a different part of Florida for an extended period of time….
Alicante Bouschet & Picpoul Blanc Grape Profiles on Winetraveler.com
It’s true that these grapes don’t have a lot to do with each other, other than origins in France. However, it could be said that they are both varieties that have fallen out of favor but are finding a resurgence of interest in recent years–albeit in regions that aren’t their original homes. Learn more about…
