When I discovered Virginia wine country about 10 years ago (I didn’t actually discover it, but discovered it for me), I was introduced to an abundance of grapes that I had never heard of at the time. Most were hybrids or other grapes not commonly grown in more popular American wine regions, such as California….
Tag: wine
Assyrtiko Grape Profile on Winetraveler.com
While traveling is on hold, I’ve been doing quite a bit of studying and research throughout all these virtual wine tastings & certification courses online. It has been nice to have this slower period in my life to actually get some of this stuff done! I can’t tell you how many times “before” I wanted…
May Vino Column “Stay Home with Some Old World Rosés”
It’s hard to believe that it’s May already! What happened to the last couple of months? Oh, that’s right… we lost them somewhere between the living room and the bedroom. There is no doubt that I’ve been enjoying some wonderful wine during quarantine time, and I’ve provided some tasting notes for many of those bottles…
Quarantine Bottles Cont… It’s May! Where are we at? (10)
Well, folks. I think I’m going to wrap up this series right here. It has been fun chronicling my wine tasting notes throughout this period of isolation and lockdown, but eight weeks’ worth of bottles is a lot of tasting notes (65+ bottles over 10 posts, and that’s not including the repeat wines or ones…
Vidal Blanc Grape Profile on Winetraveler.com
The winning wine of this year’s Virginia Governor’s Cup competition was a Vidal Blanc Passito from 868 Vineyards in Loudoun County, VA. It was quite the accomplishment for the winning wine to be a dessert wine, but a hybrid grape dessert wine made in a niche style from one of the lesser well-known winegrowing areas…
Petit Manseng Grape Profile on Winetraveler.com
If you’ve been following me on social media (@historyandwine), or pay any attention to my quarantine tasting notes posts, you’ll know that I took part in a Virginia Petit Manseng Trio tasting last week hosted by Early Mountain Vineyard, which was just fantastic. Living in Miami has made it fairly difficult for me to drink…
Quarantine Wines Cont… Just a Few Wines & a Petit Manseng Trio (9)
We’re getting a little stir crazy here, how about you? Though the slowdown has been a nice change of pace from our otherwise crazy busy lives, I’m ready to get back at it! I’m ready to travel, see friends, and even sit at a bar by myself–anything that gets us out from the house! Hopefully,…
An Ode to the Sommelier’s Instrument
Every wine lover has a favorite. It’s the one you grab each time you are opening a special bottle. Maybe it’s stored separately, in a box, even. There’s something about it you just love, but it’s hard to explain because to an outsider, it looks the same as all the others. It could be tied…
The Vineyards of Champagne, A Book Review
Every traveler has a trip in his or her life that has somehow changed them for the better or at least made their life more colorful or exciting.
Quarantine Bottles Cont…A Month in Lockdown (7)
Remember when life felt more free? It’s almost hard to fathom at this point. We are stuck. It’s an earthly lifetime purgatory. Sure, it’s not all bad–more time to get things done, etc… but when you think about it, we are stalled. No one is going anywhere. This has been going on for over a…
