Emilia-Romagna
Ah, Italy. The culture of sublime art, magnificent food, and unquestioning romance is arguably unparalleled in the world. When it comes to winemaking the nation is home to a plethora of vineyards, most often elevated up onto sun-streamed hilltops. Over the next couple blogs we are going to an in-depth look at Central Italy. In this first blog we will concentrate on Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest and most developed regions in Europe. With that in mind, let’s take a look...
Read MorePairing a Vegetarian Diet Up With Wine
You are a vegetarian and you love wine. So which wines do you pick to go with your vegetarian menu? Vegetarian food is not all vegetables or always on the light side. There are dishes such as risotto and black truffles, which is more on the heavy side. You can choose any kind of wine to go with vegetarian. What kind you choose will also depend on the season of the year and how you use your vegetables. Sometimes the wine has to take second place to the food. The...
Read MoreTo Decant, or to Hyperdecant?
Nathan Myhrvold was once a CTO for Microsoft, but he has turned his attention from the science of computer languages to the science of the language of taste. Now heralded as a master chef, his book, Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, takes a methodical look at the world of cuisine and in sometimes unorthodox, but researched fashion. Myhrvold is after the mythical formula that equates to perfect taste and texture. You can explore in his research for a...
Read MoreWines of Italy: Chianti and Pinot Grigio
If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time (and likely even if you haven’t) you know that there’s a multitude of grape varieties out there. Did you know that Italy produces upwards of a 1000 different grape varieties? Most of these blends are used to add more complexity, and if you’re drawing from a 4-digit number of grapes, then the complexity available is going to be legendary. Obviously we cannot cover all of these lovely grapes, but we can focus on some of...
Read MoreItalian Wine: Known The World Over
The wine making regions of Italy were first established around 800 years after the birth of Christ, so they have been stomping grapes almost since day one (of the Gregorian calendar.) The Italians definitely know what they are doing, but didn’t really start producing wine in large quantities until around the 1870’s. Just like a lot of the other regions, they had their challenges. After World War I, Italy struggled with a lot of political unrest and that forced hundreds of...
Read MoreHow to Make Wine At Home
Making wine is an art, and if you’re not an artist, you should probably leave the finer brush strokes of winery to the professional artisans—at least, that is my opinion—but if you cannot resist the temptation of getting your feet wet (and red) then we’ll present you with some tips on how to produce the finest bottle of basement-Bordeaux your neighborhood has ever tasted. The Grape The first thing you will need to determine is the grape. It’s highly advised that you choose a...
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