Revitalizing Gamay in the Brionnais: Vin des Fossiles

Jean-Claude Berthillot of Vin des Fossiles is a visionary, reclaiming an ancient viticultural area and showing its potential for greatness. His estate is located in an area called the Brionnais (the home of Charolais beef) at the southwestern extreme of Burgundy near the Loire River, in the department of Saône-et-Loire. Jean-Claude bought a house in […]

History and Legend: Medieval roots at the Ermitage du Pic-St Loup

Legends seem to converge at the Ermitage du Pic St-Loup. The hermitage dates back from the Middle Ages, as the former home of the bishops of Maguelone. The limestone peak or “pic” perched above the vineyards was named for the legendary Saint Thieri Loup, one of three pious, crusading, brothers and suitors to the beautiful […]

FUSO21 Fuso Barbera Piemonte: Drink Like the Locals

FUSO21 is our long-term project to bring in authentic, local wines from each of the 21 regions of Italy – wines from real growers rather than from tank farms. We asked some top-notch producers to offer what they usually sell just to locals (“vino sfuso” in Italian). We got some cool stuff, starting with Fuso […]

A Bit of Effervescence!

It’s starting to feel like spring … I think we all need some bubbles to brighten our day, well at least some “Prickly Wine”. Avinyo Petillant Blanc The Esteve Nadal family of Avinyonet del Penedès produces the Avinyó brand. The winery is located at their home “Can Fontanals” in the heart of the Penedès region […]

“Italian Beaujolais”

Happy Wednesday … I’m dubbing this wine “Italian Beaujolais”. Light, Fresh, and Fruity! Put a chill on it and take it to the Beach, as they do in Sardegna!! Monica is an indigenous grape variety from Sardegna (possibly with Spanish origins). The vineyards of Cardedu (car-DAY-do) are in the area of Ogliastra, the most mountainous […]

Project FUSO 21

  March … It’s a beautiful rainy Spring day. A perfect ray of sunshine for this day, Lambrusco. Why you ask? Why Not!! Reunite is a thing of the past, its time to rediscover this gem of a Wine. Chill it down and enjoy that fizzy red Italian gem. As you will see below, we […]

A Quick Trip to Spain …

    It’s Tuesday … Wasn’t it just Friday? Oh well, at least its sunny out. Let’s focus on some Wine! This week we travel to Spain, in particular, Rioja Alevesa. Our producer there is Luberri. Owned by Florentino Martínez Monje, Luberri is located in Elciego in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Florentino farms 35 hectares […]