There are many excellent wines in Tuscany, including those from the small family-run winery Fattoria Uccelliera, near Pisa, where a restored farmhouse offers a vacation destination. Recently Neil Duarte had an opportunity to taste some of them. Read article.
Holiday time is here! Hanukkah begins Sunday evening. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on Wednesday. Kwanzaa starts next week, and Festivus, if that’s your pleasure, brings the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength around the Festivus Pole on Monday.
So! What shall we eat and drink for the holidays?
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Today I review two special, reasonably affordable wines for the holidays: De Chanceny Crémant de la Loire Brut, a typical Loire Valley Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wine made in the Champagne style from a Chenin Blanc blend; and Broadbent Madeira Reserve, a delicious Madeira, rich and sweet, an excellent value.
FIND THESE WINES ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Broadbent Madeira Reserve on Wine-Searcher.com.
Wine-Searcher.com lists only limited vendors for De Chanceny Crémant de la Loire Brut. However, it’s available at most Whole Foods wine shops.
Read article.
Thanksgiving is past, the winter holidays lie ahead, and visions of Burgundy are dancing through my head. But a quick trip to the wine shop for a wine-price reality check soon turned my thoughts from Bourgogne to reflections on Karl Marx or maybe Jesus, whoever first said “go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor.”
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Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a rather light, but bright and pretty ruby red, typical of Burgundy. Delicious scents of fresh, ripe raspberries and cranberry fill the nose and the simple but pleasant red-fruit flavor. It’s a good introduction to red Burgundy and a fine food wine.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Pinot Noir on Wine-Searcher.com.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find information, vendors, and prices for dozens of other Bourgogne Pinot Noir wines. Read article.
Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book for 2020 is available now, and naturally I was among the first in line to grab the updated edition. Every year, this affable British wine scribe crams in even more information, updating reports on vintages and offering sound advice on buying value and aging potential, food matches and much more. Read article.
Since the Internet grew up, I don’t buy many books on paper any more, and I have to tell you that this includes wine books. But there’s one large wine book that I keep on buying even in the online era: The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.
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Porto Kopke Special Reserve, formerly known as Late Bottled Vintage, is made from a typical Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz grapes. Dark purple in color, it starts with a shy but deep black-fruit scent. Black plums and blackberries come on in a full-bodied, acidic flavor with firm but palatable tannins alongside.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com currently shows only limited listings for Porto Kopke Special Reserve, but check in periodically as supplies may turn up.
Follow this Wine-Searcher link to find listings for dozens of other Reserve Ruby Ports. Read article.
The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson in its new 8th Edition lists for $65, and it’s frankly worth it. But you can get it from Amazon.com for $34.49, just pocket change over half-price. Use this link to place your order, and we’ll get a small commission at WineLoversPage.com, for which we thank you! Read article.
Mazzei, one of Italy many family-run wineries, has been making wine for 25 generations, in Tuscany at Castello di Fonterutoli and Maremma, and at Noto in Sicily. The Mazzei family began planting Merlot in their Chianti Classico Siepi vineyard in the 1980s. Neil Duarte recently had a chance to review four of these Siepi wines. Read article.
