2022 Cocco Ilaria “Ponderata” Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC, Umbria, Italy Paired with Carbonara with fried zucchini
Fact: The wine world lacks women in wine. But Ilaria Cocco didn’t let this stop her from replanting her grandfather’s 3.5 hectares (about 7 acres) of vineyards in the Montefalco region of Umbria north of Rome, south of Florence and east of Tuscany. The vineyards had fallen into disrepair, and he died in 1998. With her father’s help in 2000, they replanted and she brought the Montefalco vineyards into healthy production using organic practices as much as possible.
Ilaria Cocco in her Montefalco cellar
But soon Ilaria realized she wanted to make wine from her grapes and to carry on her grandfather’s tradition of winemaking Continue reading →
What wine would you open after seven weeks of travel visiting vineyards in Tuscany, Romagna, Puglia, Umbria, and Austria with a few days each in Florence, Rome, and Vienna? A wine that says welcome back to the complexities and chaos that is today’s United States of America? A wine that speaks to the pleasures of being beside the cool Pacific Ocean again? A wine that pairs well with American summer fare like a fresh apricot feta salad with pecans and a burger? And jet lag?
After a week at Radici del Sud’s XX event focusing on the wines of southern Italy, IMHO Pulgia should pull out all the stops and promote Rosato, which is Italian for a pink wine made from red grapes. The winning Rosati at Radici del Sud came from Primitivo and Puglia, where rosati comes in many hues, styles, and textures— something for everyone! And much of it is very affordable. Do I have your attention yet? Continue reading →
While in northern Tuscany at a retreat with new friends, I expected to drink Italian wine — and lots of it! Instead, the cocktail game was on point, and then some, with professional and brilliant mixologists. Then for our final evening together, someone brought organic wine from where he works, Chateau de Sannes, Luberon, in the south of France! Marc-Antoine was also the chef that night— he spent several days marinating in red wine then cooking venison to make a Bourguignon style stew and a potato gratin to pair with the wines he brought. Obviously, the venison stew went with the four red wines, but I also enjoyed how the venison stew went with the four Rosé— and appreciated the quality and affordability of the twelve organic wines we tasted together. With the warm days of summer here, Rose Day upon us Saturday June 14, let’s celebrate the longer days with these organic Rosé from France! Continue reading →
Organic Côtes du Rhône Rosé with Salmon Cakes, Squash Soup, Salad
Rosé Day –the second Saturday of June each year–officially marks the start of Rosé season for many, and what better way than with organic Rosé from the Côtes du Rhône region in southern France? So many foods go well with Rosé— think smoked meats, cheeses, seafood, quiche— that it can be hard to decide what to choose! Sue wanted to do something different and suggested salmon cakes — a first for us here on Wine Predator. Since we had a winter squash that needed to be used, and a perfectly ripe organic pear, we knew the direction we would go to round out the meal.
2023 Domaine de l’Amauve “Le Rosé de Simone” Seguret Côtes du Rhône Villages Agriculture Biologique Certifié
Winemaker Antonella Manuli inspects a young La Maliosa vineyard she owns that’s full of biodiversity
Today May 22 is International Biodiversity Day, and I spent it exploring the Fattoria la Maliosa vineyards in Maremma, Tuscany with owner, winemaker, and vineyard manager Antonella Manuli. This is my third visit in as many springs, and this year, in particular, I am keen to see the rare and almost extinct grape Procanico which she helped resurrect. Procanico, a local clone of what’s known as Trebbiano Toscano, belongs to the large Trebbiano family, one of the most popular and oldest known vines that’s mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Naturalis Historia. La Maliosa’s Procanico vineyards come from Vigna Madre, a half hectare vineyard well over 60 years old that was abandoned and renewed by Antonella Manuli, the owner of Fattoria La Maliosa, a woman dedicated to the recovery of the historical authenticity of the area including the traditional grapes.
Procanico cylindrical clusters spread out on the stem
Do you love a classic Margarita, a sophisticated Cosmopolitan, or a smooth Espresso Martini— but you don’t want to mess with making them from scratch or searching out the ingredients? Mission Cocktails is on a Mission to deliver bar-quality, ready-to-pour drinks, AND to make a difference: every bottle sold helps fund meals for families in need, with over 100k meals provided so far. Wow! And today May 13 is World Cocktail Day! No better way to celebrate this Mission than with a Mission cocktail and light bites!
We recently enjoyed taste testing a sample box with five of Mission’s award winning cocktails, Continue reading →
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 