What fun! The New York Wine Expo this Weekend was the largest in their 4-Year History! Had lots of fun writing tasting notes on (not all!) but close to 760 wines from around the world. Lots of old world Italian, Austrian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese wines and new world wines of South America, Australia, [...]
Quattro Canti Stefania Lena Tasting Notes for February 28 2010 2007 Xavier Flouret Quattro Canti color: intense near opaque purple nose: med+, brown sugar, very ripe heavy purple fruit palate: dry, acid med tannin med+ (balanced still) body med + alc 14.5 estimate, finish is med+ Style: Very ripe grapes with balanced acidity to the [...]
Fynbos Louis Roos Winemaker with glasses Tielman Roos Viticulturist Mooiplaas Tasting Notes for February 21 2010 2010 Xavier Flouret Chenin Blanc (South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch) Color: light straw nose: med+ very mineral palate: dry, acid med tannin med- (grape) body med alc est 13.5 finish med+ Style:Very rich with minerals on the nose and [...]
2007 Xavier Flouret Cabernet-Merlot Amani (South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch Nose: ned+ intensity, jammy ripe fruit palate: dry, acid med+ tannin med= and very juicy, body med alc med+ finish med+ Style note: Very ripe and juicy Bordeaux blend with rich, succulent tannins lifted by med+ acidity. Powerful sense of terroir and great fit [...]
The Kingdom of Navarra hosted a wine tasting party at the W Union Square – lots of fun with some wine media testing skills by "Running with the Bulls in Pamplona" on a special real-time simulated bull run. And fabulous winetoo!
Tasting Notes week of February 7, 2011 2008 Mazzocco Zinfandel Stone Ranch Alexander Valley color: purple, med intensity nose: med+ intensity, chocolate syrup, fino sherry, brown sugar, dry, acid med + trannin med + body med alc est 14.5 finish med + Style note: rich and concentrated Alexander Valley Zin with ripe concentrated blue [...]
So it’s not often when an energetic and passionate wine expert such as Filippo Bartolotta (editor of L’Espresso Guide to Italian wine) comes to Manhattan to meet with a tiny handful of the city’s most notable journalists to lead a tutored tasting through Italy, including a food and wine pairing of many dishes (black [...]
2009 Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas (Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas) Color: medium straw nose: med+ intensity, a certain briny nature, soft scent of ripe fruit such as peach and apricot, a sense of minerality palate: med+ intensity, dry, acid mes med+ tannin low body med alc est 12.5 finish med+ Style note: Briny minerality and [...]
La Now that I am off to Decouvertes en Vallee du Rhone next week, I was checking in with Wine & Spirits Educational Trust fellow-graduate Philip Reddaway, a former UK based adman (Mad Man?) who runs a very charming Inn called La Madelene with his wife (and chef) Jude in the Southern Rhone. I spent [...]
Tasting Notes at Drouhin Fabulous tasting at A Voce today of wines from Drouhin. I found the 2009 vintage fabulous … and spent a lot of time comparing the different villages. Laurent Drouhin explained the diffence between Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet in that the Puligny is usually more structured and acidic because of the limestone. I [...]
Today top Manhattan-based journalists and members of the trade gathered at the elegant Four Seasons Hotel to hear the VinExpo commissioned report from the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) about the state of the international wine industry. The big news? Things are looking up for the industry despite the recession. America is the [...]
Elyssia Pinot Noir Looking for an attractive looking sparkler for Valentine’s Day? Think pink! Rose colored champagne and sparkling wine is all the rage this year – possibly because it is so gorgeous to look at. Also, wines made from the Pinot Noir grape (the darker skins is what gives it the pretty rose color) [...]
Kim Crawford Wine Bar Lincoln Center was the place to be for Manhattan fashionista’s … and wine afficianados. For the second season in a row, Kim Crawford Wine will be the exclusive wine sponsor for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. The brand, known for celebrating individual style, is hosting the Kim Crawford Wine [...]
So it’s something closely akin to "superbowl week" here in New York, now that producers and negotiants from Burgundy are here for events surrounding La Paulee. Today Frederick Wildman & Sons had a tasting featuring many superstar producers. One of my first stops was at Domaine Meo-Camuzet, where Jeanne-Marie de Champs was pouring several [...]
Imagine …. Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore all in one room! That was the scene today at the Hilton New York, where presidents of the above named four Consorzios met with journalists in a private room to talk about their regions and vintages. What’s up [...]
2009 Franciscan Oakville Estate Sauvignon Blanc color: pale straw – near water white nose: med intensity, grapefruit, white flowers, palate: dry, acid is med+ tannin zero body med alc est 13 finish med+ Flavors include white grapefruit, white flowers, a very light and delicate and floral approach Style note: With its light spritz of [...]
Some of you know me as the author of “Building Buzz” (Career Press, 2005) that helps small companies learn how to get the media attention they deserve. At the time I wrote it, I had my own PR agency in Boston, Deg.com communications. As a wine journalist (especially one who has written her thesis [...]
Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu "So," you might ask, was it worth it to attend a very dressy event wearing snowboots, mittens, and all sorts of snow wear? The crowd checking coats and boots at a fabulous downtown space last week seemed to think so. 17 Bordeaux château owners poured their latest vintages (as well as some earlier [...]
