What is the best way to expand your culinary experiences? If you can’t travel to another country, the next best way is to search for foods from the same region as the wine! Continue reading
Author Archives: Gwendolyn Alley aka Art Predator
Lamb Stew Paired with Cabernet Franc Created By Couples #WinePW #WomensHistoryMonth
I love how a wine changes — from place to place, from vintner to vintner, over time, and even over a conversation.
I totally get how subjective wine is: what did you have to eat pr drink– what’s the chemistry in your mouth like? What smells are about and how might that impact your experience of a wine? What music are you listening to — how distracted or focused are you — what’s your brain chemistry like? There are so many factors that can change your experience about a wine.
For me, personally, my chemistry and Cabernet Franc don’t always get along so in general I’d rather just see it as part of a blend– a small part. And that’s how it’s been found traditionally — as a small but significant role in a Bordeaux blend. However, it’s dominant in a Chinon from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley about 220 miles southwest of Paris. Continue reading
Happy International Women’s Day! Cheers! #IWD2019 #WomensHistoryMonth
During March, around the world people celebrate the accomplishments of women and recognize the challenges that women face, with March 8 set aside as International Women’s Day. Which also means that in March, here on Wine Predator, we focus as we can on women influencers — whether they are winemakers, owners, or otherwise important women in wine.
“Our wine’s, alive from earth to heaven.” Anne Graindorge
This coming weekend, I’m going to settle in with a good book from 2008: Tilar J. Mazzeo’s best-selling The Widow Cliquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. In it, Mazzeo shares the story of a woman who lived during Napolean’s time, and how the widow Cliquot sheds her weeds to build an empire and a legacy. Sounds exciting doesn’t it!
Dancin’ In the Moonlight? Biodynamic Wines of the World #WinePW Invite and Bonterra Reds With Braised Beef
“You dance around naked in the moonlight — so I typically tell them yeah just come on out!” Bonterra’s Director of Vineyards Joseph Brinkley in It Starts With Wine discussing what many people think about biodynamics.
The new docu-series It Starts With Wine on Amazon Prime brings vintners and chefs from around the world into your home for an inside perspective on people and places behind the wines you drink — and the ones you’ll want to!
The first three episodes are out now–
- Episode 1 features famed chef and restaurateur Francis Mallmann with a backdrop of Uruguay which #WinePW focused on in February,
- Episode 2 features Argentina, our #WinePW focus for January,
- Episode 3 of the series goes to Northern California’s Mendocino County to understand organic and Biodynamic® farming, featuring wines from Bonterra Organic Vineyards and Bonterra Director of Vineyards Joseph Brinkley– and biodynamic wines of the world is the prompt for April during Earth Month which I am hosting and you’re invited to join!
Which Wine Pairs with leadership on #ClimateChange? 3 from Portugal
pretty picture of food and wine from Portugal to get your attention to a discussion of climate change and the conference with wine industry leaders in Porto this week; wines and food follow …
In July 2018, wine industry leaders concerned about Climate Change gathered in Porto for the Climate Change Leadership Porto Summit where Barack Obama was a keynote speaker in conversation with Juan Verde regarding the impacts and challenges of climate changes in the world.
Why? Consider the following:
In Porto last year, participants developed The Porto Protocol which states:
La Maliosa Biodynamic Procanico and a Pasta Bar with Santa Barbara Uni and Mussels #ItalianFWT #WomensHistoryMonth
La Maliosa orange wines using indigenous grapes, native yeasts, biodynamics paired with fresh Santa Barbara mussels and shrimp on squid ink pasta
When is a wine certified organic and biodynamic but not?
When it meets certification in its country of origin and other places in the world but not in the US where I live!
As the host of this month’s Italian Food Wine Travel Group’s virtual excursion into biodynamic wine of Italy, I figured I’d be able to acquire the wines no problem. Read the invite here and the preview post here.
I started a while ago, checking the samples I had around, but none had that tell-tale Demeter logo: Continue reading
Vinitaly’s Wine Ambassador Course, the Sub-regions of Brunello, and Dr Who? #ItalianFWT
is this Brunello featuring a Dalek in disguise on the label?
Ring ring! Ring ring! Ring ring!
Your phone is ringing!
Pick it up!
Pick up your phone!
Ring ring!If you do not pick up your phone
you will be exterminated!
Exterminate!
Exterminate!
Exterminate!
(CRASH)
If you’re a Doctor Who fan, you will instantly recognize this as a Dalek-voiced and scripted ring tone. Continue reading
