WineDineWith.us

I knew better. I knew better than to buy this bottle of Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Benefizium Porer from the 2008 vintage, and released a year later, in 2013. I knew better after having perused the store’s dusty, dark aisles laden with straggler bottles of wine from vintages long past.  And I certainly knew better [...]

It might have had me fooled.  If I had blind-tasted the 2009 Bonny Doon Ca’ Del Solo Muscat I might have guessed that it was actually an Argentine Torrontés. It bears some of the hallmarks I associate with Torrontés – floral notes, orange blossom, honeysuckle. The association should not be surprising given that the Muscat [...]

My enduring fascination with the wines of Alto Adige continues, and the spring months are some of the best times to enjoy wines from this region of northeast Italy. (Though, in truth they should be enjoyed all year round!) The Alois Lageder Haberle Pinot Bianco is a straw yellow, with a clear, bright appearance in [...]

Inevitably, spring comes to Boston. In fits and starts,  the earth warms, the grass greens and myriad buds unfurl. In juxtaposition, a wrenching week of watching evil, tragedy and loss unfold. If ever there was a time for a celebratory nod to the nascent season –  a joyous gathering a tavola celebrating the marriage of food [...]

For 2013, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is offering the “World of Wine” Dinner Series. Each dinner focuses on the wines of a notable wine region rather than on those of an individual producer. Del Frisco’s Boston kicked off the series on March 22nd with an evening featuring the wines of Napa Valley. I was fortunate [...]

I have been a fan of Brancaia Tre for several years. The very well-made and well-priced Super Tuscan has been a regular on my dinner table, and it was definitely time to try another of Brancaia’s offerings, the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG. Chianti Classico has to be a minimum of 75% Sangiovese, with up to [...]

One of Glenn and my favorite winemakers at the Boston Wine Expo for the past two years has been Olivier Hillaire. Last year he represented the wines himself; it’s always a real treat to have the winemaker pour you a sample of his creation, especially when the wines are very good. This year we were [...]

Despite five or more feet of snow in my yard, I am optimistic that crocuses and green grass are just around the corner. In celebration of Daylight Saving Time and with hopes of beckoning the advent of spring, it was time for a springlike meal centered on asparagus and sauteed chicken. This meal could only [...]

There are many things that could be written about the dinner with Jean-Charles Boisset at Aura Restaurant following the first day of the Boston Wine Expo, but fun would have to be at the top of the list. There was singing, there was clapping, and there was plenty of good cheer and free-flowing wine. And [...]

With the dust settled (and the snow fallen, at least for the moment in Massachusetts), here is a recap of the 2013 Boston Wine Expo, including some of Glenn and my highlights.   Behind the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tables   See you all at the 2014 Boston Wine Expo!