Turbiana, is it a Trebbiano or not?
Modern DNA profiling ability has enabled researchers to name most grapes and their parentage. But for those who won’t be spending time on reports, they find the proof in the glass. While not always exact, some characteristics that run in the vine family can be tell-tale signs of its lineage, with slight variations attributed to […]
Wine fraternities – Italian Grandi Marchi
I am sorry amici. But whenever I think Italian, the first thing that comes to mind, is Mafia. That’s before pizza, wines, truffles and olive oil. No offence but that’s how Hollywood portrayed you guys. Blame it on Francis Ford Coppola. Istituto del vino italiano di qualità Grandi Marchi, or the Italian Wine Institute of Premium Brands represents nineteen family owned […]
Beating the wine conformist
What do you see in a wine before you decide it is well-made? That is a million dollar question. Finding gem among stones is a challenge. If our expectation is to meet every bottle from a region tasting similar, then we are seeking conformity and not character. But of course some regions are just so […]
Marchesi Antinori – A different perspective
Six centuries, twenty-six generations, fifteen Italian estates and seven others around the world. In the world of Italian wines, Marchesi Antinori is a name synonymous with quality, innovation and creativity. While most are familiar with their wines of Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso, there are other good and affordable wines beyond this familiar horizon.
Barolo tasting with Accademia Del Barolo
Barolo, Italy’s answer to Burgundy. Light colour, high acid, firm tannins, elusive bouquet and its ability to age with elegance. This is the “wines of kings and kings of wines”. At a seminar hosted by Debra Meiburg MW with representatives from Accademia Del Barolo, I was privileged to taste nine Barolo from the 2008 vintage.
Cesare Cecchi – Cecchi Family Estates
Traditional, proud and warm. Three words I would have used to describe Cesare Cecchi if ever asked to. Representing a family brand, Cecchi Family Estate, and travelled across half the globe from Italy to Singapore, I was finally introduced to the beauty and elegance of Sangiovese, in the form of Morellino di Scansano.
The alluring charm of Italian wine & dine
If I have to choose one meal before my last breath, it is all things Italian. Why? With regional diversity I can go for 20 meals representing 20 different regions and cheat death in my way. Buy extra time among the living while savouring the Mediterranean flavours of fresh fish, olives and burrata cheese.
Sweltering days: a Pinot Grigio and a Rosé to cool off with
Ah, Summer. The season of dressing light, ditching the covered shoes and bringing out the flip-flops. Hit the beach and bake the skin to a crisp brown. This may sound great for most people in the world but when you’re actually here in the midst of drowning humidity between 80 to 90 per cent and […]
Italian wines Master Class with Antonio Boco
Italy, the leg shaped peninsula between Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas. While dribbling the island of Sicily, is also the biggest wine-producing country in the world (based on 2010 Wikipedia figures). Wine making is found in all 20 regions, with recognitions for 73 D.O.C.G (highest grade) and over 300 D.O.C (high-grade) classifications. Ancient Greeks called this land, Oenotria, land of vines.