Wine of the Week ~ Chianti 2018 DOCG Renzo Masi & C. Rufina, Italy
A piece of my heart was deliberately left in Chianti Country, during a visit to Tuscany, with the Bluest Sky Import Group. A life-altering education, every time I’ve headed out to “be there,” smell the terroir, feel the earth, see the vines, taste the wines, and ask questions (even if some sound like I just […]
Romeo and Juliet Prosecco, the Angst and the Sparkle, in The World of Wine ~ Italy
[IMAGE by Wiesław Jarek : VERONA, ITALY – MAY 1, 2016: Part of the wall covered with love messages in Juliet’s house, Verona, Italy] SAMPLE: The following is a springtime-worthy (heck – all year-worthy) wine, delivered from Famiglia Pasqua and the vineyards of the Veneto region, in northeast Italy. PREFACE: HEART ~ THE WINERY: info is […]
Italian Passeggiata ~ Still a Cultural Phenomenon and it Includes Foods and Wines
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 the first TV in […]
The World of Wine ~ Romeo and Juliette, when you have an adventurous palate
SAMPLES: The following are two springtime-worthy wines, fresh from Famiglia Pasqua, and the vineyards of the Veneto region in northeast Italy. “Pasqua” coincidentally means “Easter” in Italian – a fittingly wine for this coming Easter Sunday, è giusto? The Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Rosso 2016 and the Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Bianco 2017 samples […]
Pairing Tuscan Wines with Tuscan Cuisine ~ Day 1
GUEST: I was a guest at Castello di Meleto, in Gaiole (the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany), as orchestrated by Michael Yurch, of The Bluest Sky Group. When we, as Americans, think of Italian cuisine, pasta immediately comes to mind, right? In a word association game, I say Italian food, and most people respond with […]
A Tasting Like No Other In Cupramontana Italy ~ Well Known For Its Native Varieties
Imagine having flown into a new country, and adding that to one’s wine educational repertoire. Now imaging becoming part of a team for a week, meeting everyone for the first time. Then, all the new foods; and lastly, tasting indigenous varietal wines, mostly for the first time… You have to navigate it all, and you […]
Le Sincette, Chiaretto DOC, Italy; Where Have you Been All of My Life?
UPDATE: Thanks to Jane Nichols, a reader of this blog, she sent an update to me, regarding La Sincette’s appellation: I was so interested in the wine you wrote about that I did a bit of research and happened to find out….the appellation of the wine is actually the Valtènesi DOC…which (amazingly/confusedly) has been discontinued […]
When Opportunity Knocked ~ Siena Italy Was at the Door
[ALL PHOTO: Jo Diaz, unless noted otherwise. Shop in Sienna, Italy] PART 1 ~ CULTURE LEADS TO WINE AND FOOD In October of 2018, a door was opened for me by Bluest Sky Group, when I was invited to join a group of wine professionals traveling in Italy. We would be exploring the central wine regions of […]
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 […]
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 […]
