Do You Know About This Tuscan Fail Safe Practice?
[PHOTO of Castello di Meleto, Tuscany: Jo Diaz. All photos were taken by Jo Diaz, unless otherwise noted.] This practice is one that I had no idea existed, until I was the guest of Castello di Meleto. Located in Gaiole in the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, this past October. I was travelling with Michael […]
Romancing the Grape ~ Relationship Selling for Hospitality Professionals
SAMPLE COPY from Lynda R. Paulson ~ PHOTO: Jo Diaz Romancing the Grape ~ Relationship Selling for Hospitality Professionals by Lynda R. Paulson should be mandatory reading for all winery tasting room personnel. This is always how I sold wine, while working in a tasting room, because my studies and background are in PR. That said, […]
Leaping Horse Vineyard ~ More Than a Leap of Faith
PHOTO: Jo Diaz SAMPLE: Quintessential Wines for Ironstone Vineyards: Listening to “There’s No Way,” an upbeat Powerwalk Playlist on Spotify… I’ve got this 2017 Leaping Horse Vineyard Chardonnay wine sitting on my desk, waiting to be opened; screwcap right there, just needs a twist. What’s holding me up? I just read something from Tasting The […]
Thanksgiving Wines Came Early To My Home
[PHOTO: Purchased] Company samples are listed with each wine. PREFACE HEART ~ THE WINERY: This information came from the wineries’ notes. SCIENCE ~ WINEMAKING ~ From the winery. SOUL ~ Jo’s Musings The early bird arrived with all of these samples. Each one holds an important special memory, a unique time and place, flavors of wine […]
Do You Know Verdicchio and Le Marche, Italy Are Quietly Famous?
[PHOTO: Autumn at Colonnara Viticultori] Some might even say it’s a best kept secret, but I don’t mind letting this secret out of the bag… Not to worry if you don’t know either Verdicchio or Marche. I didn’t know anything about the alluring Verdicchio grape, either, before my trip to the land where it reigns […]
Red, White, and Rosés Don’t Need to Have a Season to Have a Reason, Do They?
Samples. Companies are listed with each wine. PREFACE HEART ~ THE WINERY: This information came from the wineries’ notes. SCIENCE ~ WINEMAKING ~ From the winery. SOUL ~ Jo’s Musings [PHOTO: Taken at Castello di Meleto] BACK STORY: In 2002, I was charged with getting publicity for Petite Sirah. At that time, I could only find […]
Kevin Zraly ~ Windows on the World Complete Wine Course’s Latest Edition
[IMAGE to the right: purchased] Wine is infinitely more intriguing than most other balls in the air we juggle during life, especially for the curious. Much of our inquisitiveness will be addressed within the pages of Kevin Zraly‘s 2018 edition of his Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. This is most especially true for […]
Calistoga is Updating Their Game and I’m Musing in My Hopes for It
I can’t figure out if this is a blessing or a curse. Only time will decide, if this is going to be a great move. I’m going to reprint a press release from the town of Calistoga, California. Their intent is pure, so I really hope their plans will out work well! My editorial comment, […]
The Benedictine Monks Are Smiling ~ Their Abby is Now Chianti’s Castello di Meleto… a Wine Company
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 candle holder, dripping with memories. Castello di Meleto in the Chianti region of Tuscany has gone way upscale sophisticated and […]
Colonnara Viticultori in Cupramontana ~ In the Castelli di Jesi region of Le Marche
[PHOTO: Jo Diaz – Cupramontana Headquarters] To understand wine, first we need understand its culture and people. The first time I wrote that was in 2009, just prior to a trip to Portugal. This thought was just reaffirmed, as I’m newly returned from an Italian adventure, in the epicenter of the Renaissance. This story is about […]
