The Grandi Marchi fine Italian wine tasting in the city earlier this month was a reminder as to why Masi Agricola is one of the Great Houses of Italian wines.  Masi Agricola is not only a high quality producer of one of the three greatest red wines of Italy – Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG – but also leads the region in innovation, research and in a standard of excellence that raises the entire category.
Masi is synonymous with Amarone, the powerful, dry red wine made from dried grapes.  Historically since Roman …

Everyone knows that Champagne is wonderful all-year round, for all meals and courses and for any occasion.  Rosé Champagne is particularly enticing this time of year when the weather warms up and we’re entertaining outside.   Pink Champagne was the only Champagne category to increase market share in 2009 and 2010 and the US was a major reason for the growth.
But have you ever thought of cooking with it?  It may sound luxurious to do so, but one can find a good bottle of pink Champagne for $30-40 and for a …

With today’s value-oriented consumers, everyday wines are nouveau chic.  But the New World didn’t invent inexpensive, everyday wine.  Some of the best values come from Italy and the northern region of the Veneto.  The Veneto is Italy’s largest wine region by production and exports, flying high with inexpensive but absolutely classic and well-made wines such as the white Soave, red Valpolicella and sparkling Prosecco.
The Soave appellation is located just east of the beautiful city of Verona.   The white wines are made principally from the garganega grape which produces a crisp, light- to medium-bodied wine with citrus …

Dining at Osteria Fontanina in Verona

Dining in new cities is always an exciting adventure, but its particularly exciting when you’re in the midst of several great wine appellations.  The Veneto is home to classic dry whites made of garganega such as Soave and Custoza, sparkling Prosecco made of, well, prosecco, and classic red blends based on cherry-licious corvina such as Valpolicella and Bardolino.  These wines pair perfectly with the diversity of foods you will find in the Veneto.

Classic dishes in the Veneto include risotto made with Amarone wine, chewy bigoli pasta, horsemeat (stewed, smoked, even tartare), pasta e fagioli …

Verona 77 degrees, Napa, California 78 degrees forecast.  I love travelling to Europe in the spring, volcanos notwithstanding.  The weather is glorious and last night, warm enough to dine comfortably outside at 9:00 pm.
Veneto is known for its ancient cities of Venice to the east and Verona to the west.  It is the largest region for controlled origin (Denominazione di Origine Controllata/ e Garantita aka DOC or DOCG) wines in Italy by volume with about 1.7 million hectoliters produced annually.  Its famous appellations include the white Soave, Italy’s most exported white wine, the …