Posts tagged as:

wine

News at Ma(i)sonry & Blackbird Vineyards

by Marisa D'Vari26 February 2010
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Taylor Mason, Resident Chef
…. it seems like I’ve been going to the Napa Valley every few weeks this year. Only February, and I’ve been in late January for the Master of Wine educational seminar and just last week, the Symposium for Professional Wine Journalists and the Premiere Napa Valley Barrel Auction.

Usually Yountville looks the same [...]

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Do you love wine? Visit the New York Wine Expo

by Marisa D'Vari5 January 2010
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New York Wine Expo
Imagine how exciting it will be to discover all the new trends in wine, and sip wine from Italy, Germany, Australia, South America — even from Oregon and California. It happens in NYC February 26 – 28 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

I went last year and it was lots of [...]

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Book Review: About Wine by J. Patrick Henderson and Dellie Rex

by Marisa D'Vari28 December 2009
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 For whatever reason, I received the book About Wine by J. Patrick Henderson and Dellie Rex over two years ago, yet had been too overwhelmed by my wine studies to open anything that wasn’t Janscis Robinson or Tom Stevenson. It’s only now that I have my diploma from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust that [...]

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Interview with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards

by Marisa D'Vari30 October 2009
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Eric Titus
 
Tonight I had dinner with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards in the Napa Valley and talked about his Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc while tasting through several flights. The dinner was held at the illustrious Jean-George Vongerichten restaurant Perry Street, which is very hip and cool (think white on white theme, with [...]

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Wine Reviews: Exploring Wines from Madrid, Spain

by Marisa D'Vari29 October 2009
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Michael Aptein

 
Madrid is one of the most sophisticated regions in Spain in terms of gastronomy and art, so you can imagine it must be the center of wine as well. Yet why is it that we seldom hear of the Vinos de Madrid D.O? Apparently, The D.O. of Madrid has been producing wines since the [...]

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Tasting Henry’s Drive Wines from Australia

by Marisa D'Vari27 October 2009
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Ah, the life of a vintner! Ten years ago, Ms. Kim Longbottom and her husband bought property in the Australian region of Padthaway, part of the Limestone Coast in the southeast of South Australia, and called their estate Henry’s Drive in honor of a long-ago postman from the area. Kim cleverly named the wines, which [...]

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Long Island Wines: Blind Challenge Proves They Can Hold Their Own

by Marisa D'Vari19 October 2009
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Quick! Imagine you are presented with a "blind flight" of Sauvignon Blanc wine (or Chardonnay for that matter). Do you think you can pick out a wine from New York’s Long Island against wines from Sancerre or New Zealand? Assume that all wines have the same color, and for the most part, a similar aroma [...]

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Visiting Wine Producers in the Jura

by Marisa D'Vari13 October 2009
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“No!” the passionate Frenchman says, starting a heated discussion about the Poulsard grape among a group of vignerons in the opulent dining room of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Jean-Paul Jeunet. We are in the Jura region of France, a wildly beautiful and rugged expanse of land with well-trained vineyards, spotted cows, and sleek horses at every [...]

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Craggy Range Pinot Noir

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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…. so by now, you’ve seen the film Sideways, tasted Pinot Noir, and count yourself as one of the varietal’s many fans. Yet do you like Pinot Noir from around the world, or just certain locations? Have you taught yourself to tell the difference between a Pinot from New Zealand and Burgundy?

The folks at Craggy [...]

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Celebrating 2006 HALL “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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Ambassador Kathryn Hall
… so the first time I met Kathryn Hall was at Per Se, where she announced that her California winery was becoming certified Organic. I remember tasting the Cabernet and finding it quite rich, layered and complex.
Yet Wednesday night September 30 I was able to taste the 2006 HALL "Kathryn Hall" Cabernet Sauvignon, [...]

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Tasting Kuleto Estate Zinfandel 2006

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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… Zinfandel is California’s ’signature’ grape. Why? Possibly because this is where the Zinfandel grape finds its truest expression.

If you are new to the world of wine, it may be difficult to understand why ‘terroir’ - the speciffic weather and soil of a vineyard – is so important. The vines for this Zinfandel are grown on [...]

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Meeting Joel Peterson, Founder, Ravenswood

by Marisa D'Vari25 September 2009
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Joel Peterson, founder of Ravenswood
Want to be a winemaker? It sounds like a lot of fun, and of course, it can be. And to hear the rags to riches (well, not quite rags) story of how Joel Peterson, founding winemaker ofRavenswood, created an internationally famous brand is mesmerizing.
Joel was born in 1947 the son of [...]

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Tasting Ehret Cabernet Sauvignon

by Marisa D'Vari24 September 2009
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… so you can imagine how surprised I was when a business colleague gave me a bottle of Ehret Family Winery 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s Knight’s Valley upon hearing I was a wine person.

This is a delicious wine with exotic spice, black berries, plums, coffee, and a never-ending finish. Knights Valley is a tiny [...]

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Exploring Bordeaux

by Marisa D'Vari20 September 2009
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Bordeaux Map
Bordeaux. The name says it all. This whisper of a word conjures up images of luxury, gorgeous chateaux, elegantly dressed aristocrats, and lavish, sophisticated living.
We won’t even get into all the centuries of romance novel-style drama that must have included arranged marriages for the sake of building a family dynasty and all that, yet [...]

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Review: Feudo Principi Di Butera Nero D’Avola

by Marisa D'Vari1 September 2009
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Italy is one of the world’s most imported wines, and for good reason – the country boasts more than 1000 different varieties of grapes. Many collectors swoon for their Barolo and Barbaresco, high-acid, long lived wines that pack a powerful…

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A Taste of the Rhone Valley

by Marisa D'Vari31 August 2009
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In these challenging economic times, most of us are only too happy to learn of exciting new regions that offer quality wines at a good value. Last Fall I was lucky enough to visit the Rhone valley in France and…

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Tasting wine from Mac Murray Ranch

by Marisa D'Vari9 August 2009
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Part 1: Tale of Two Pinot Noir One of the pleasures of those who love Pinot Noir is blind tasting various producers and deciding if they are Old World or New World, and then trying to pinpoint the producer’s exact…

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Visiting Chianti Classico

by Marisa D'Vari8 August 2009
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Once upon a time, wine from Chianti was associated with candles and straw wrapping. Savvy wine connoisseurs today know that the quality of wine from the Chianti region of Italy—and the specific D.O.C.G. region of Chianti Classico — has soared….

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Wine Aroma 101 with Max Riedel of Riedel Glassware

by Marisa D'Vari27 July 2009
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“The biggest mistake couples make when they get married is buying too many glasses,” says Max Riedel, during a demonstration of his fine glassware in his company’s Manhattan office. With this tidbit of sage advice, Mr. Riedel, the grandson of…

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Interview with Franck-Lin Dalle of Chateau Du Campuget in Costieres de Nimes

by Marisa D'Vari19 July 2009
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Okay, so you read the book A Year in Provence and are very excited to become a winemaker in the south of France. Yes, by all appearances it is a glamorous life. Gorgeous sunny weather, long leisurely lunches by the…

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