The Appellation: Galicia Spain: Ribeira Sacra We first arrived in the Galicia region of Spain in the summer of 2012. We drove up from Northern Portugal after visiting family and different vineyards in the area. Pedro Rodriguez of Guimaro met us at our “Casa Rurales”, a grand but quaint manor-turned-bed-and-breakfast from the 16th century. The B-N-B is overseen by Maria who served us the best “tortilla” with the freshest eggs we’ve ever had in our…
The Appellation: Northern Rhone: Cornas and Saint Peray our most recent virtual wine tasting experience. The Varietals: Syrah and Marsanne The wines and why we love them: 2015 Alain Voge Saint Peray “Fleur de Crussol” The under the radar Northern Rhone white appellation, across the river from Cornas, where the Marsanne grape reigns as queen. Not to mention Alain Voge, the gentleman, who has contributed so much to keeping his region alive and shining through every bottle ever…
“Less is more” As it is wise advice for us, the same applies to wine: “Less” when referring to the weight, body and alcohol content and “more” in the transparency, the dimensions and the pleasure it brings. As we enjoy our warm summer weather, we are leaning lean, towards this very type of wine. While mercury rises to register three digits outside, a balanced low alcohol red wine (11%-13%) makes room for more enjoyment. Another welcome hot-day solution is to lightly chill…
The Appellation: Colares Portugal only 50 acres of vineyard land planted The Varietal: Ramisco almost impossible to find outside of Colares Why we love it: A wine truly like no other, it’s absolutely incredible. As with all the wines we acquire, a unique site is key to discovering wines with a remarkable and unmistakable pedigree. Like us, adverse conditions can bring out the best, Colares being no exception. We find it utterly delightful and on the cusp of being known…
Italy, California, Canary Islands, Portugal, Germany and France… What do they all have in common… good wine… what else? You can’t travel there right now, so we will take you…with wine of course! First to Italy, a country with close to four hundred registered varietals and likely 1,600 unregistered. A lot to comb through… For today we will go to the Abbazia Di Novacella Winery, located in the Isarco River Valley in South Tyrol, Trentino Alto Adige. Italy’s northernmost wine region. Just picture: beautiful Alpine…
Mount Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy This story will take you on a trip there (since no one is going anywhere else), and let you discover vines from … the world’s oldest and most active volcano. Not only that, Mount Etna keeps on growing, one layer of lava at a time…to culminate as the highest active volcano in Europe at an elevation just shy of 11,000 feet. And where is the wine grown? Primarily on the slopes of Mount Etna reaching 3,500 feet and sometimes higher….
To Sulfite or not to Sulfite…. “A walk towards Natural Wines” We will tell you a story and let you decide… First a few points, You’ve all read the back of your wine label, “contains sulfites,” and you’ve wondered and googled, to uncover the truth… All wine contains sulfites… as it is a natural by-product of the yeast metabolism in the wine making process. So, there is truly no wine without sulfites. Yet, a majority of readily available…
Champagne This story begins on coronation day in 987 at the Reims Cathedral; located in the heart of the champagne region in northeast France. The Pinot Noir champagne was poured at the request of the king, Hugh Capet, and from that time forward, it made its appearance for coronation days, marking the beginning of champagne as a celebratory wine. However, throughout the Middle Ages and part of the Renaissance period, the winemakers envied their Burgundy neighbors to the south and desired to create the same style of wine. “Comparison is the…
Dezilu’s First Newsletter January Spotlight: Wine’s personal stories Think about the aspects of life surrounding you at this moment, the influence they have on you, evoke in you. For wine, it is the same. Wine is alive. Like us, wine, has a story. The vine absorbs all that surrounds it, and, from these natural elements it crafts personality. It’s these personalities we like to find. Our story begins in the stone ages, where wine was first made. Vitis Vinifera is one of the first…