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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
VinConnect Customer Trip to Tuscany — November 2013
A few months ago I invited several VinConnect customers to join me on my next set of regional winery visits, which turned out to be Tuscany in November 2013. Three loyal, intrepid VinConnect fans signed up for the task, and so joined me the week before Thanksgiving to tour and taste with VinConnect’s partner wineries, […]
Il Caberlot Vertical Tasting
On February 6th I was honored to attend a 10-vintage vertical tasting of the singular Il Caberlot wines of Podere Il Carnasciale. As you may know, Il Carnasciale is a Tuscan producer of wines made from a variety unique to them — what is believed to be a hybrid of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Proprietor […]