While Champagne is the most recognizable category of sparkling wine, there are, in fact, many others around the world. Most folks thinking of Italian sparkling wine will say Proceso. Others in the know might also think Franciacorta. But then there is the even lesser know wine – Trentodoc. Coincidentally. all three Italian regions that produce sparkling wine are located in the chilly, mountainous northeast. They are also in close proximity to one another. This is because sparkling wines are typically made from grapes that grow in cool-climate regions. And the mountainous northeast of Italy certainly fits that bill. The burgundy-colored…
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#WIMG is a seven-minute read. Ok, folks, We have drunk some unique and delicious wine this month, so it is time to share what we have posted on Instagram for all of you social-media-free folks. And for those who are not hashtag-aware, #wimg means “what’s in my glass.” #WIMG Aridus Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Cochise County, Arizona I am very, very selective when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc. The flavor grapefruit and grassy profiles are typically not a match for me. I received this bottle from Aridus Wine Co in Willcox, AZ, as a sample, and I was prepared not to enjoy…
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… And So Can You This is a 6-minute read. When we were in California, we had the pleasure of spending some time with the folks at The Wine Foundry. Like every other visit during this trip, we assumed we were there to taste their wine. We were. And we did. But truth be told, The Wine Foundry is more than a winery, and we were quickly enthralled at their business model. While they make wine to sell under two different labels, their primary mission is to help people make their own wine. The Wine Foundry Concept: The concept is…
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Sorry that I have been incommunicado, but we went to Northern California Wine Country. If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen some of our social media posts. Just know, we were hard at work exploring, learning, tasting, and more tasting of wine from Lodi, Sonoma, Napa, and Suisun AVAs. We traveled with friends and fellow wine writers Amber & David Burke of Wine Travel Eats and Allison Levine of Please The Palate. This trip would not have been possible without them and the countless others that set us on this journey. In eight days, we visited 36…
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I first wrote a post about the serving temperature of wine back in the summer of 2017. This is a subject where I am continually learning, so I wanted to update my advice for you. So, what triggered this decision to write a new post on this subject? First and foremost, I continue to see folks storing wine in their 36° refrigerator. Secondly, because of my own recent awakening drinking a bottle of skin-contact Fiano, a white wine from Italy. Side Note: Skin Contact This is a “rabbit hole” topic that I will save for another time. Suffice it to…
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I wanted this post’s title to be positive, so I chose the word “Pivot.” The only other words that represent 2020 I could think of was “sucked and shitshow.” And that it did and was. But because of that, I, we, many of us, if not all of us, had to pivot. You may have had to homeschool your kids, work from home, or both. I can not imagine how hard that must have been or still is. While we all had our own personal obstacles to overcome in 2020, there were also some valuable lessons. This post is a…
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With the shutting down of tasting rooms throughout US wine regions, small family wineries are taking a hit. Yes, they have their club members and some other loyal fans, but the tasting rooms bring in new customers. So allow me to introduce you to some of my favorite family-operated wineries and the incredible boutique wine that they make. There is something for every palate in this list. Please give them a try. And tell them that Strong Coffee to Red Wine sent you. Methven Family Vineyards Does Gamay and So Much More I had the pleasure of visiting Methven Family…
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Gary and I purchase a significant amount of wine from direct to consumer (DTC) wineries that we have visited, been referred to, or worked with doing local tasting parties. Wine region economies are built on the backs of the DTC winery, and this pandemic is suffocating entire swaths of California, Oregon, etc.. Some of these wineries make less than 2,000 cases a year. For those, 100% of their business usually comes from sales in their tasting room and from consumers who join their wine club. (Winery wine clubs are super cool. But that is another post for another time.) Tasting…
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