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Thursday, July 31, 2014

My Problem with Pinot Noir

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T here’s an unspoken protocol around the water cooler at work. Whenever someone starts extolling the glories of another Pinot Noir, they l...
Sunday, July 27, 2014

Oh, The People You’ll Meet! (wanting help with winery visits in Italy)

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F or the last few months I have gotten a barrage of notes from folks who are heading to Italy for visits. Most of the time they are askin...
Friday, July 25, 2014

A Midsummer Night’s Scream ~ Italy at the Tipping Point

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“Y ou’re either going up or you’re going down,” an old political saying goes. And while it was meant for worlds larger than ours, here we ar...
Friday, July 18, 2014

In pursuit of the (Italian) American dream

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..and other tales told while riding inside the sommambulance I keep having this dream over and over again. I’m in a restaurant. Pretty p...
Sunday, July 13, 2014

My Dear John Letter to Moscato

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I t was bound to happen sooner or later. This was never meant to be forever. It’s 3AM and I don’t even know where to send this, you’re not...
Thursday, July 10, 2014

Bursting the Bubble - The Battle for the Luxury Sparkling Wine Market

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J uly. Slow period. Vacations. Nothing much happening. Right? If you think this is the case, then go right ahead. But right now major camp...
Thursday, July 03, 2014

John the Apostle Talks with Jesus: On Water, Natural Winemaking and Large Gatherings

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O ne of the most misunderstood winemakers in all of time is Jesus Christ. After his miracle at the marriage feast of Cana, criticisms of h...
Monday, June 30, 2014

When a DOCG isn't a DOCG - and when that's not enough

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A hh, Italy, the multifaceted mystery, the oblique seductress, the carefully measured labyrinth. After a day of working in the garden, st...
Thursday, June 26, 2014

“We have become accustomed to constant change and instant boredom.”

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"T he business of wine buying is being handed over to a bunch of fireflies and their life span matches their attention span. It’s no ...
Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sex and the Cittadella

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From the "You've come a long way, baby" Dept. of Satirical Prognostication O ne of the wonderful aspects about writing abo...
Thursday, June 19, 2014

Do Americans love and drink Italian wines more than Italians?

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T here is a pattern I have noticed lately when talking to Italian winemakers about their production and where they send their wine. That i...
Sunday, June 15, 2014

How to bring your Italian wine to the American market

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N o matter which party is dominant in Washington, no matter if the Dow is 26,000 or 1,600, no matter if we are in an unpopular war somewhe...
Thursday, June 12, 2014

When Wine Experts Aren’t Always Right

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I ’m sitting at my table with a dear old friend. We’ve traveled around Italy, France, California. You name it, we’ve been there. If you li...
Sunday, June 08, 2014

California Wine Report ~ 1st Rosé of the Season ~ Everything Starts Over @ 100

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Celebrating 100 years, before flying to Dallas, with a glass of Provence Rosé T his past week, the wine trail had me in home state of Ca...
Thursday, June 05, 2014

In Praise of Funky Wine

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or, 7 ways to keep squirrels from drinking your wine S acramento, California – I am sequestered these past two days with 70+ wine expert...