Idaho is an unlikely suspect when it comes to wine. Compared to its more prominent neighbors, Washington, Oregon, and California, Idaho may be a surprising addition to the list of high quality North West coast producers. This isn’t stopping the Gem State from making a name for itself as a growing figure in American wine. Idaho’s isolation does it a favour however, producing huge tracts of land surrounded by clean air and fresh mountain water. In particular, the Snake River Valley, home to many of Idaho’s most prominent vineyards, has the perfect climate for grapes. Cold winters encourage the vines to conserve carbohydrates, and the desert air allows viticulturists to carefully control the amount of water their vines receive. The result is a number of fresh wineries that are producing some incredible award-winning wines. Out of all the great things happening here, these are my top 10 Idaho wineries. 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards Located in the rolling hills to the north of Boise, … [Read more...]
10 Chianti Classico producers you should know
There is no question that when it comes to Italian wines, Tuscany and Piedmont are among the favourite regions of wine connoisseurs. The wines of Tuscany like the region are special and there is a lot to write about but in this post we would like to place the spotlight on the Chianti Classico, which is a region within the Chianti region between the Tuscan cities of Florence and Siena. Most wine lovers will know a Chianti wine but few will actually be able to name producers from the Chianti region. Older consumers might also remember a squat bottle which used to be enclosed in a straw basket but this is only used by very few producers now. For many years, Chianti had a bad name and was associated with cheap Italian wine but when made by great producers this is a wine that has character and is exceptionally good value for money especially when compared to the pricier Super Tuscans, Brunello di Montalcino or the Nobile di Montepulciano. It was Baron Bettino Ricasoli who … [Read more...]
10 Sicilian wine producers to look out for
I am preparing a wine tasting for a wine club I form part of in September and the theme is Sicilian wines. I have therefore been researching a bit more than usual about the wine producers of Sicily and also tasting some more wines from this Southern Italian island which produces some stunning wines. This will hopefully be a new series for Food and Wine Gazette on wine producers in different wine regions and countries of the world who are worth looking out for because they produce consistently good wine. In part, this is also inspired by a conversation I had with a reader of this blog who asked how I go about purchasing wines I would be drinking. But that is another story. There are no secrets to buying or drinking great wine. It all boils down to knowing which are the wine producers that produce consistently good wines. A good indication of the quality of the wine is the entry level wine. It might not be stunning but if it is well made it will be enjoyable and you can rest … [Read more...]