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World of Wine News- Host of the Italian Wine Podcast Receives Vinitaly Lifetime Achievement Award
- ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY REOPENS ITS HISTORIC OAKVILLE ESTATE FOLLOWING A MULTI-YEAR TRANSFORMATION
- The Catalina Wine Mixer Returns To Descanso Beach Club May 29-30, 2026
- Frederick Wildman & Sons Expands National Alignment with Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits
Author Archives: winellama
Going to Priorat DOQ, Spain? Trust me, you need ‘Vinologue Priorat.’
Vinologue Priorat By Miquel Hudin and Èlia Varela Serra Leavenworth Press, c 2014 When I plan a trip to a wine region, I look for the unusual, the unique, the outlier – whether they be grapes, terroir, winemakers or the regions … Continue reading
Posted in Spain
Tagged Èlia Varela Serra, Miquel Hudin, Priorat, priorat doq, spain, Vinologue Priorat, Wine books, Wine regions, Wine tours
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Gaston Chiquet, Tradition Brut, Premier Cru, Dizy, Champagne, France, RM, 12.5% abv, NV (Magnum) @ Marquis Wine Cellars
A grower-producer from the cool named, Dizy located just north of Épernay, the Chiquet family has been growing vines and making Champagne for generations. The current crop of Chiquets include brothers Antoine and Nicolas with Antoine’s daughter Marion. Their 23 ha … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Tagged 12.5% abv, champagne, chardonnay, Dizy, france, Gaston Chiquet, Magnum, marquis wine cellars, nv, pinot meunier, pinot noir, Premier Cru, RM, Tradition Brut
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Pietradolce, Nerello Mascalese, Etna Rosso DOC, Sicilia, Italia, 2012, 14.5% abv.
Here is a stunner straight from the north facing slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna. Grown on bush trained vines at 600m above sea level, the name of the winery is a direct acknowledgment of the volcanic soil the vines are rooted in – … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, RED
Tagged Empson, Etna Rosso DOC, italia, Italy, Mount Etna, Nerello Mascalese, Pietradolce, red wine, Sicilia, Sicily, volcanic soils
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Da Mata, Cachaça, Santa Teresa, Brazil, 48% abv.
Meet cachaça, the most popular distilled alcoholic drink available in Brazil. Seriously everyone drinks it and it’s available just about everywhere in either a water white, unaged version (like this one) or an aged, golden toned drink. This example is a … Continue reading
Posted in Brazil, Cachaça, SPIRITS
Tagged Brazil, Cachaca, Da Mata, Espirito Santo, Santa Teresa, Spirit
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Cachaça Envelhecida, Reserva do Gerente, Brazil, 42% abv, C$18
Here is a drink you don’t see every day. In fact, in our market on Canada’s west coast, there is only one cachaça available – and it’s not this one. What exactly is cachaça? Is it rum? Well, not … Continue reading
Posted in Brazil, Cachaça, OTHER, SPIRITS
Tagged Brazil, Cachaça Envelhecida, Reserva do Gerente
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Lammershoek, Lam, White, Paardeberg, WO Swartland, South Africa, 2012, 10.5% abv.
This was an awesome South African addition to The Drinking Group‘s afternoon get together. The bottle got us all excited just for starters being a Lillet lookalike. Lammershoek dry farms some 40+ year old bush-trained vines on granitic soils. The 2012 vintage … Continue reading
Posted in Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, OTHER, South Africa, Viognier, WHITE
Tagged chardonnay, chenin blanc, Lam, Lammershoek, Paardeberg, South Africa, Swartland, viognier, white wine
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Graham Beck, Cabernet Sauvignon, The Game Reserve, W.O. Western Cape, South Africa, 2011, 14.5% abv, C$19
The Western Cape is a very large geographical unit that encompasses most of the eastern wine lands of South Africa – including the Breede River Valley, the Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River. It’s massive. Enormous. And there’s a lot … Continue reading
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