Italian Passeggiata ~ Still a Cultural Phenomenon and it Includes Foods and Wines

by | May 5, 2019 | Brut, Bubbly, Bubbly Wine, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Flavors from the World of Wine, Food & Wine, Imports, Italy, Le Marche, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Wine

Honestly, our American culture, in this May of 2019, has so drastically changed from when I was, say, 5-years old, in Maine. This seems unreal to me, now, but I do remember the first TV that came into my home. My dad was an early adopter of electronic gadgets. We had...

When It’s Traditional and It’s in Tuscany ~ Day 2

by | Mar 12, 2019 | Chianti, Chianti Classico, Italy, Sangiovese, Wine, Wine Appreciation, Wine Blogger, Wine Business, Wine Country, Wine Country Inn, Wine Culture, Wine Ed, Wine Education, Wine Exports, Wine Hospitality, Wine tasting, Wine Travel, Wine Writer, Wine-Blog, Winemaker, Winery, Wines

I was the guest of Castello di Meleto in Gaiole ~ In the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. Hosted by Antonia Caserta (sales manager), their winemaker Matteo Menicacci, and their agronomist Giovanni Maria Farina. Antonia translated, and I was also in the company of...

The Benedictine Monks Are Smiling ~ Their Abby is Now Chianti’s Castello di Meleto… a Wine Company

by | Nov 8, 2018 | Benedictine Monks, Chianti Classico, Food & Wine, Food and Wine, Imports, Italy, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Wine, Wine Country, Wine Philology, Wine Travel, Winery, Wines

Wine Philology: Wine History I was the guest of Castello di Meleto in Gaiole ~ In the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. Hosted by Antonia Caserta (sales manager) [PHOTO: Historical image from the Castello di Meleto website] Forget your daddy’s straw basket...

Castello di Meleto: Gaiole in Chianti – Tuscany, The Adventure Begins with a View From the Bluest Sky

by | Oct 22, 2018 | Italy, Jo's World, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Wine, Wine Book, Wine Business, Wine Making, Winemaker, Winemaking, Winery, Wines, Wne and Food

[PHOTO: Antonia Caserta of Castello di Meleto. All other images in this story were taken by Jo Diaz.] Day 1 – Flew into Rome as a guest of both Castello di Meleto in Gaiole ~ In the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany and Colonnara Viticultori in Cupramontana ~...

Every Single Wine Grape Variety Has Its Own Unique Leaf

by | Mar 2, 2017 | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Education, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, VIT 101, Viticulture, Wine, Zinfandel

Wine Grape Varietal Leaves can all be found in resource books, but I wanted my own images. There are many wineries where I’ve worked, prior to becoming a consultant. At each one I learned a different segment of the wine business. While at Kendall-Jackson, I took...