What’s one of the most widely planted and well loved but not well known grapes in the world? Known as Garnacha in Spain, Grenache in France, and Cannonau in Italy, this versatile grape plays well with others and produces everything from blends to easy going rosés to nuanced red wines in styles from lighter and fruity to richer and fuller bodied. Thriving in hot, dry climates, this grape becomes the backbone of many red blends around the world, most famously in the Rhône Valley, Spain, and Australia. Typically enjoyed young and fresh with spicy, citrus, and raspberry notes, it has the potential to age and develop deeper notes of leather, tobacco, and chocolate while maintaining its medium acidity and deceptively light appearance.
Winning Wines from the Ventura County Fair with Summer Pairs
Tis the season for county fairs! Famous for showcasing homemade goods — from quilts to jams to flower arrangements and yes, wine too! The Ventura County Fair has had an amateur division for wine for many years, but it was just last year that a commercial wine division was added. In 2024, only 20 wines entered, but in 2025, we had twice as many with the majority made here in Ventura County. Much of the fruit is local too, but grapes from anywhere in California were eligible in 2025.
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
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 