Month: June 2015

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Jacob’s Creek, Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz

Richard DiGiacomo

Jacob’s Creek winery has had a long history in Australia. Started in 1847 by a Bavarian immigrant, Johann Gramp, it has become a leader in Australia’s wine industry. They may have been along for over a century and a half, but they still strive to innovate and create unique wines from Barossa Valley. Their latest project is Jacob’s Creek Two Lands. The Two Lands, Australia and the USA bring together two award winning winemakers. Jacob’s Creek chief winemaker, Bernard Hicken and Napa Valley’s Ehren Jordan collaborate to craft Two Lands.   Hicken lends his expertise in Australian grapes and terroir and … Continue reading Jacob’s Creek, Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz

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Jacob’s Creek, Two Hands, Pinot Grigio & Shiraz

Richard DiGiacomo

Australia’s Jacob’s Creek winery is proud to introduce its latest project, Jacob’s Creek Two Lands. Jacob’s Creek is partnering its chief winemaker, Bernard Hickin with Ehren Jordan, an award winning winemaker from California’s Napa Valley. The aim is to combine Hickin’s knowledge of Australia’s Barossa Valley with Jordan’s techniques he’s honed in California. Hicklin describes the project; “ We like to call Two Lands a California Expression of Australian wine.” “Traveling to South Australia has been a fascinating creative process which has allowed me to work with flavors not normally available to me in North America,” Jordan enthuses. Jacob’s Creek, … Continue reading Jacob’s Creek, Two Hands, Pinot Grigio & Shiraz

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Wines from Slovenia, puklavec & friends

Richard DiGiacomo

Slovenia has a long history of wine making. Long before the Romans cultivated most of Europe with wines, Slovenia’s wine history dates back to the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Like most of Europe, Christian monasteries took over wine making in Slovenia during the middle ages. Private wineries flourished during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War II when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia, most winemaking was controlled by the government and bulk wine making focusing on quantity over quality. When Slovenia became independent from Yugoslavia in 1991 and the wine industry was again in the hands of privately owned wineries. … Continue reading Wines from Slovenia, puklavec & friends

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Wine Bar War Miami

Richard DiGiacomo

Get ready Miami wine lovers. The most exciting wine event of the year takes place Thursday June 18, 7:00-10:00pm, at the Moore Building in Miami’s Design District. Miami’s top sommeliers are challenged to build four wine bars that capture the spirit of the wines of Chile in “Wine Bar War.” The Guild of Sommeliers and Wines of Chile have handpicked 4 local sommeliers to captain four teams of four sommeliers to create the wine bars featuring 32 of Chile’s best wines. The captains leading their teams are Heath Porter of Uvaggio in Coral Gables, Brian Grandison of The Fountainbleau’s Hakassan, … Continue reading Wine Bar War Miami

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The White Wines of LaMancha, Spain

Richard DiGiacomo

La Mancha, Spain, just south of Madrid is the world’s largest growing areas of grape vines. La Mancha sits on a high plateau where little rain falls, but has plenty of sunlight for the vines. La Mancha was granted its DO status in 1976, but winemaking there dates back to the ancient Romans. White and red wines are produced in the region of La Mancha. White grapes permitted are Airen, Macabeo, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Cencibel (also known as Tempranillo), Garnacha, Moravia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah are the red grapes grown there. White grapes make up the … Continue reading The White Wines of LaMancha, Spain

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Montepulciano’s Poliziano Impresses

Richard DiGiacomo

Tuscany’s Poliziano Winery is relatively young in the storied history of winemaking in this part of Italy. Dino Carletti bought a parcel of land and planted it with Prugnolo Gentile, a variety of the local Sangiovese. The winery is named after poet Angelo Ambrogini (1454-1494) whose nickname was “Il Poliziano” a native of Montepulciano. The wineries famed vineyard, Asinone gets it name from the shape of the vineyard, the back of a donkey. When Dino’s son Federico joined the winery after studying Viticulture and Enology, his mission was to produce exceptional wines from the estate’s grapes. He took time to … Continue reading Montepulciano’s Poliziano Impresses

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An easy drinking red from Spain, Valdrinal 6, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2012

Richard DiGiacomo

Valdrinal 6, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2012 is ruby red in the glass. It has aromas of cherry, red delicious apple, baking spices and hints of smoke. Tart red cherry hits the palate up front with stewed fruit and minerals on the mid palate. Some light smooth tannins and acidity round out the palate. The Valdrinal 6 has a medium finish and is easy drinking. Valdrinal 6 would be perfect with the tender sweet meat of suckling pig. It would also work great with gamey flavors of roasted leg of lamb. Continue reading An easy drinking red from Spain, Valdrinal 6, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2012