Customer Trip to Sicily June 2019
These days wines from Sicily (and specifically Mt. Etna) are among those gathering the most interest among U.S. consumers, sommeliers and wine media. I know a bit about the region and have enjoyed the wines for several years, but do not have the kind of detailed knowledge of Mt. Etna’s grapes, soils and wines that […]
Spain Wine Tour November 2018
Given the recent rapid growth of VinConnect it has been several months since I have had the time to get away and visit a wine region. After some consideration Spain bubbled to the top of my destination list — it had been years since I had been to Spain, and the combination of our existing […]
Barolo and Barbaresco Wine Tasting and Tour 2017
Three of VinConnect’s top customers and I recently traveled to Italy for a wine tasting trip to Piemonte, the home of Barolo, Barbaresco and Alto Piemonte, as well as the legendary Nebbiolo grape that stars in all three. As this was VinConnect’s third trip in the past 5 years, we leveraged our many existing relationships […]
Wine Tasting in Barolo and Barbaresco — VinConnect Customer Trip 2016
As you may know, about once a year I invite several of VinConnect’s customers to join me on one of my wine tasting trips. This year the location was Italy’s great Piedmont region, home to the famous wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. I’ve described our agenda in great detail below, highlighting the top wine(s) for […]
What You Must Know When Planning Winery Visits in Europe
Visiting wineries in Europe can be a very different experience from visiting them in the U.S., for a variety of reasons. Largely these reasons all relate to the fact that wineries in Europe are more generally agricultural operations, not tourist attractions — the are typically small, family run operations, and few if any have the […]
My Top 10 Wine Bars in Paris
On my recent trips through Paris, I have been compiling a list of the Top 10 Wine Bars there and wanted to share some information about them. In addition to writing this post, I’ve also created a Google map of my Top 10 Wine Bars in Paris — if you’re in the city, feel free […]
VinConnect Customer Tour to Tuscany — June 2015
Earlier this month we launched another VinConnect Customer Tour, this time to visit the region of Tuscany. I was accompanied by some of VinConnect’s customers, who joined me for tours and tastings at our winery partners, some wonderful meals and visits to many beautiful places. We were able to taste wines across several recent vintages, from […]
VinConnect Customer Trip to Barolo and Barbaresco
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Travel Day: Sunday-Monday This year’s VinConnect Customer Trip began for me in Washington, DC on Sunday afternoon, November 16th. Once I arrived at Dulles, I decided to indulge myself at the VinoVolo (website) outpost there to help set the mood while awaiting departure. I really enjoy those VinoVolo locations that seem to be popping up […]
Terre di Toscana — Tasting Spring in Tuscany
Skiing and celebrating Carnival with my children might be more typical pastimes in late February; instead, I chose to return to Tuscany in the off-season to savor the excellence of this blessed region along with the silence and the peacefulness of a pre-Spring pause, off on a jaunt to the seaside alone with my thoughts. I decided […]
25 Years of Il Caberlot — A Spectacular Vertical Tasting
I must preface by admitting that I am enchanted by all things Il Carnasciale. For me, the winery, its proprietors, collaborators and the wine itself embody what wine should be – meticulously crafted by passionate, dedicated people in respect of nature and the territory, with a constant eye to innovation and extraordinary quality. I could […]