This summer has been HOT. If you’ve been outside much, your sweat beads are probably as big as those on a cold bottle of Pinot Bianco in the sun. I wouldn’t say I’ve gone so far as starting to call myself a winter person, but climate change is maybe pushing me to love autumn a little more. … Continue reading
Most people think of party wines and spritzes when they think of Prosecco. But Prosecco took on a different hue on a recent trip to explore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG wines, which make up about 20% of all Prosecco production and have stricter production rules. It’s a mouthful to say, but rather than lots of Italian … Continue reading
In Etna, they produce spumante that has notes of lime pith than volcanic minerality. Sales have increased with the rise of the spritz—they currently make up 33% of all Etna sales in the US. I think I helped the domestic sales while I was there, as I drank Campari spritzes every day at aperitivo. Given spumante … Continue reading
I recently went to Sicily, not to follow the White Lotus life but to explore the wines of Etna, whose official DOC was formed in 1968. All the vineyards are situated in a half-ring at the foot of the volcano, whose eruptions have completely shaped the land and infused the soils, grapes, and wines with a bold, ashy … Continue reading
With shark sightings and some tragic accidents on the northeast coast this summer, stay inside and just watch Shark Week starting August 9 on the Discovery Channel. Pair your binge with this Fessina Erse Etna Bianco from a vineyard with lava deposits from Etna that go back centuries. The volcanic soils give it lots of gritty minerality with … Continue reading
Given that TV is way more exciting than movies these days, the Emmys are sort of THE awards show to watch. Grapefriend went to the Emmys and the Governors Ball after-party with Ferrari, which has been the official sparkling wine of the Emmys for the fifth year in a row. The house started in 1902 with the … Continue reading
Now that we’re all heartbroken that the last episode of the series has aired, we get one more taste tonight as the documentary Game of Thrones: The Last Watch covers the making of the final season. Weep into your goblets filled with wine from the Amalfi Coast. White: Emilia Clarke (who plays Mother of Dragons … Continue reading
Luckily, Game of Thrones leads the Emmy nominations since the clips we’ll see are all we’re getting of this show for over a year! It’s killing me. For tonight’s awards, I’ll get through the pain with my personally-etched 70th anniversary bottle of Ferrari. Hailing from the Trentino area in Italy, the metodo classico Ferrari Brut has been the official … Continue reading
Prosecco has really grown in popularity lately because it’s peachy and much less expensive than many other sparkling wines. The danger is that so much of it’s being made now that the quality could go down, which is basically what turned a sparkling like Asti into an entry-level “supermarket wine.” Prosecco lands in the middle … Continue reading
Having been ruled throughout history by the Greeks, Romans, Normans, Muslims, Spanish, Piedmontese, and even a few others, Sicily’s an island with a total mix of cultures. All those cultures had various levels of interest in and production of wine, so Sicily’s indigenous grapes have fluctuated in popularity against international varities. For most of the … Continue reading
