Food & Wine
Sass Road Trip
I went on a road trip on Tuesday to 1, the producer of Tuscany's famous red, Sassicaia. It's in the coastal area of Bolgheri, about a two-hour drive from my house with no traffic, or about an hour south of Pisa by car.
I try to go every year and taste with Niccolo Incisa della Rocchetta, the owner of the estate.
Australia's Colonial Wines Take a Step Up
Someone from outside can make some fascinating wines in a different region. All those Champagne houses changed the style of sparkling wine in California, and, most famously, Baron de Rothschild got together with Robert Mondavi to make 1 in Napa Valley, bringing a different sense of legitimacy to California Cabernet.
Reviving Montelena Will Be a Challenge
Chateau Montelena is a marquee name among Napa Valley Cabernets, but from a bygone era. The winery, which had been 1, was 1. It still has fans who admire its sturdy, distinctive, ageworthy style, but most of them are old-guard collectors. For years, from the 1970s through the 1990s, 1 Cabernet from its Montelena Estate in Calistoga was a cornerstone in many Cabernet collections.
What Makes Wine Worth It?
The topic of price vs. quality in wine keeps coming up, and not just among savvy wine drinkers looking for the most bang for their buck when they buy a bottle. Last week, Steven D. Levitt, an economics professor, made a pretty bold assertion in his Freakanomics blog for the New York Times .
Picking a Price for a New Wine? How About Giving It Away?
Normally, yet another small-production wine (even one with outstanding quality) would be just another entry to an already crowded playing field. Add in the fact that the wine comes from the still-overlooked South Africa, and most folks probably wouldn't even raise an eyebrow.
Contrasting Wine Styles Demands Attention
Batman or ABBA? Contrasting cinema styles did battle last week when two potential blockbusters opened in movie theaters. I was amused this past weekend to hear about all the excitement and anticipation for the newest Batman film, The Dark Knight , which seemed to win out with movie fans (and their money), although the feel-good musical Mamma Mia! drew well, too.
