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Category: Red Wine

Laura – Make the Drive to Summerville

 Charleston is a food town, so you do not have to go far to get great food. Summerville is only 30 miles from where we live, but it might as well be Iowa. We very rarely ever go there. Summerville is a suburb; like most suburbs, there is no reason to go if you live elsewhere. That is until Laura opened. In the Spring of 2022, French Master Chef Nico Romo opened Laura, a rustic Italian restaurant celebrating his maternal grandmother- Laura’s heritage, culture, and foods. This is his third restaurant in the area, The first two being Nico in…

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Ketcham Estate – A Lunch Tasting

Allie Ketcham comes to Charleston. We meet for lunch and sample three wines. Recently, Gary and I had the opportunity to meet up with Allie Ketcham, owner of Ketcham Estate—a woman-owned winery with a female winemaker in the Russian River Valley. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Ketcham Estate, a very brief history Mark Ketcham’s (1955-2020) dream of owning a vineyard and making wine began in the year 2000 with the purchase of 17.5 acres (13 planted to vine) in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Four years later, he founded Ketcham Estate. Mark was a hard-core fan…

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More, More, More… WIMG!

… how do you like it? More, more, more. Well, that is a throwback to the disco days of my youth, 1976. When it comes to sharing wine, it’s always more. Corte Gardoni, Bianco di Custoza Greoto 2021, Veneto, Italy This barrel-blended white wine from Corte Gardoni is scrumptious. This northeastern wine region hangs north over the city of Venice and spreads west just past Verona. Well-known wines from this region include Prosecco, Soave, Valpolicella, and others. I chose this wine for an Italian tasting I did in June. This white blend starts with 40% Gargenega (the lone grape in…

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WIMG – July – What’s been in My Glass!

Since the last wine tasting we hosted on June 10th, we have been tasting, sampling, and drinking a variety of wines. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it. So wimg? Let’s dig in, shall we? WIMG (If you forget, this means:  What’s in my glass?)   Celler del Roere Vermell 2019, Valencia, Spain Pablo Calatayud of Celler del Roere transformed an ancient wine cellar on their property into a gold mine. Centuries-old amphorae remain embedded in the earth, and after being cleaned up and some repaired, they can still hold and age wine the way it…

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Probus – A Serbian Red Grape

My sister went on a hiking vacation with some friends in Serbia. I know! While not a wine drinker or any alcohol (she is allergic), she still brought me home a bottle of wine. The group went to a wine tasting, and so she bought Gary and me a bottle of Živanović Probus. This was the favorite of the group, so my sister went with their recommendation. She told me it cost the equivalent of $7.00. Not a monetary risk for sure, but she still hoped we’d like it. It was delicious and perfect for the warm spring day we…

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Often, Not A Lot… #1

I don’t drink a lot… I drink often. Part One New Discoveries T. Berkley Wines from Calistoga, CA, makes wine from two grape varieties, Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. Ophelia is his entry-level Cab Franc retails for about $39.99. Sadly 2019 vintage, as well as the 2020 vintage, are already sold out. But 2021 is hitting shelves now. It has only been “in bottle” since August, so I might be inclined to buy and sit on it for about a year as it will only get better and better. The T. Berkley 2019 Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc was just released,…

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Caruso e Minini ‘Perricone’ Sicily

The last winery visit during our Sicily adventure was to Caruso e Minini in Marsala. This is a relatively young winery that was created when fourth-generation winemaker Stefano Caruso partnered with Northern Italian marketer extraordinaire Mario Minini to create this brand that now exports mostly indigenous Sicilian varieties, including Grillo, Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Nero d’Avola, Frappato and Perricone as well as some international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Merlot. Today, the company is helmed by Stefano’s two daughters, Giovanna and Rosanna. I am a huge fan of their wines. In addition to the Perricone, I  have enjoyed…

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The Weekly Pour #2

The Weekly Pour is the culmination of the micro posts on Strong Coffee to Red Wine. Each week subscribers will be notified via an email that posts are available to read and enjoy. This does not apply to folks using another RRS feeder. Contesa dei Venti 2020 Vittoria Doc Nero D’Avola Sicilia Last October in Sicily, on our visit to Donnafugata, we had the good fortune to have Tommaso Bellisola, the Senior Hospitality Manager at the Vittoria tasting room, lead our tasting. His depth of knowledge and his passion for Donnafugata wines was a perfect match for our needs. Contesa…

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