Birthday Wishes to the Man Who Set the Standard
This past weekend we celebrated the man who set the bar high for what it means to be a good father, a good husband and a good person – my father’s 80’s birthday. If you know Chuck Bianco, you find him to be a smart, witty, funny, kind person who is always interested […]
Sicily: A Wine Continent United
The process at Firriato Wine Company begins with terroir, the identity of the native varietals used, and a respect for nature. I was invited to meet with COO Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato who talked about how the vineyards are a mosaic of the “continent” of Sicily reflecting the identity of […]
Ricci Curbastro: Ancient Roots Combined with Tradition, History and Culture
About 800 years ago, the Ricci Curbastro family started growing grapes and a few decades ago they started producing great wines that would change the way sparkling wines are regarded on the world stage. I recently had the chance to travel virtually with the Ricci […]
Exploring the Heritage of Donnachiara
I virtually traveled to a new region and winery in Italy continuing the 2020 alternative to what was once to be an in-person trip earlier in the year. This time it was an introduction to Donnachiara Winery, located in the Irpinia appellation in the Campania region of southern Italy. The winery is […]
Navigating the Senses with Sensi Wines
Vineyard View from my Last Italy Trip When my long-awaited family trip to Italy was canceled last month due to the pandemic, I worked to recreate experiences from past trips to bring a little Italy to Dallas. So when Monique Soltani, Executive Producer and Host, of Wine Oh TV, reached out to ask […]
Ushering out the Decade with Stellar Holiday Samples
It’s crazy that 2019 has passed in a flash and a new year/decade has begun. Why not usher in a new decade with a round-up article of a few favorite samples over the holidays? Due to the weather, there is always a rush of samples shipped when the weather breaks in Texas, so it’s […]
Cantina del Vesuvio: My Italy Journey Continues with a Trip to the Lacryma Christi DOC
Cantina del Vesuvio: My Italy Journey Continues with a Trip to the Lacryma Christi DOC One of the many things I love about Italy is that there are so many local vineyards with microclimates that make the wines so unique. Cantina del Vesuvio is a perfect underscore of this point. The winery and vineyards are standing […]
Christopher Creek and Foppoli Wines: A Welcome Addition to the Dallas Market Coming to A Restaurant Near You
As a card carrying Italian family member (unfortunately from one family who made really awful wine as I post today from Rome after several days of Tuscan wine country), I love a successful Italian wine story. And that’s what you have from the Foppoli family. The Foppoli family has been making boutique wines in California […]
Growing Up Gaja: A Conversation with Gaia Gaja and Delving into Ca’ Marcanda with #winestudio
Me and Gaia Gaja If Italian royalty comes knocking, one answers the call with an appropriate curtsy. When I received the invitation to meet Gaia Gaja, the daughter of one of Italy’s most world-class families of wine, I was in awe. When I met Gaia and found how warm, open and engaging she is, I […]
Final 2017 Sample Update: The Top 30 That Turned My Head in this Tasting
It looks like I have a New Year Resolution and that’s to get a little faster about reporting on the samples that I’m sent. This time I reviewed more than 65 wines and today I’m going to talk about more than 30 that made the list. Note that these encompass a number of countries, price […]