#tbt

Wishing I was back in Piemonte, hanging out with all these wonderful producers, and drinking amazing wine. Can't wait to go back this summer!

 Me and Elio Altare

 Alessandro Veglio

 Siliva Altare

1993 Vigna Larigi, Elio Altare

Mauro Veglio and Daniela Safirio

Class #2

Today's class was relatively strange and somewhat chaotic. Bill Nesto said there was no other way to do it, and he was right. We covered History of Wine, Vinification and a mixed tasting related to the history of wine.
On the menu for class #2:
Sherry, Port, Champagne, Beujolais, Pinot Noir, Riesling,

I was not a fan of Sherry or Port, but once again took to the riesling.
This time the riesling was from Mosel, Germany, by Mönchhof, a riesling spätlese, 2011. I am normally not a Riesling lover as they are often too sweet, but this one was not.

Class #1

I had my first class with Bill Nesto this week. Level 2: A Comprehensive Survey of wine. It was the first day, so we just went over some basics, like terminology and basic tasting tips. There are so many ways to describe a wine, and you need to use words that are universally understood, so that other wine enthusiasts know what you mean. Nesto gave us this big binder to read, and although it is a little overwhelming, I am pretty excited, and the material is interesting. One exercise we did was related to smell, and Nesto lined up these little jars with smells and our job was to identify each smell, and two stations had more than one smell. Then we tasted a few different "tastes", like bitter and sour. This was to get our noses and mouths used to smelling and tasting. At the end of the class, we tastes 4 white wines and 4 red wines.

The wines we tasted were:
St. Urbans-Hot, Ockfener Bockstein, Riseling Kabinett, Mosel Germany, 2011
Branko, Pinot Grigio, Collio Italy, 2012
Montes, Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Chile, 2012
Mer Soleil, Chardonnay "Silver", Santa Lucia Highlands CA, 2011

Chateau Boutisse, Saint-Emillon Grand Cru, Bordeaux France, 2009
Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2010
Gachot-Monot, Cotes de Nuits-Villages, Burgundy France 2010
Chave, "Offeurs", Saint Joseph, Rhone Valley France, 2011

#tbt

This summer I was lucky enough to work at Vietti Winery, in Piemonte, Italy. I would spend my mornings in the vineyard, doing green harvest. Green harvest is when you reduce the amount of clusters per vine, to help maximize the quality if the cluster and the grapes. When I was not working the in vineyard, I helped out during wine visits and tastings. It was such an amazing experience. Luca and Elena "Vietti" are the most wonderful people, with an energy that is out of this world. And their passion for their wine is contagious.

Bauer Wine and Spirits

I decided to stop by Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury street today, and see what kind of selection they carry. I don't know much about wines from areas outside Piemonte, Italy, but I found two bottles I recognized. Casanova di Neri and Paitin. I discovered Casanova di Neri when I went to a Dalla Terra wine tasting last spring. Bauer is a cozy little store, with wines from all over the world. I'll definitely go back. You can visit their website here: Bauer Wines

a comprehensive survey of wine

My main Christmas gift this year was a wine course. Level 2: A comprehensive survey of wine. The teacher/presenter is Bill Nesto, one of two Master of Wine residing in New England. The course is offered through BU's Metropolitan College. By the end of this semester I will have knowledge of all types of grapes, styles and understand the characteristics of wine. For anyone interested to learn more about the program, you can visit their website: Food and Wine  or look at their Brochure.

photo from this summer

wine in boston

As a student, the budget for wine is not exactly grand, so the amount of wine is also limited. In Boston, there are a few wine stores, but my favorite so far is Central Bottle in Cambridge. They have a small wine boutique, with a good collection from Piemonte. Vietti and Marchesi di Gresy are two of the ones I am familiar with. I am always open to new stores, and will try a new one this semester. It is a bit far away from where I live, but Federal Wine and Spirits also have a good collection. We'll see what I can find in Bean Town. Also up for any suggestions.

ettore germano

Ettore 'Sergio' Germano produces wine in Serralunga D'Alba in Piemonte, Italy. At a tasting this summer, I had the pleasure of tasting both his reds and his whites. My personal favorite was the Herzu riesling, a refreshing white wine that is a recurring one in Cantina Granveien, also know as my home. I don't have much experience with his reds, but from what I can remember, they were quite good. I met Sergio for the first time this summer, and will be sure to return again soon. 

Sergio Germano, current producer of Ettore Germano

veglio wines

Alessandro Veglio resides in Piemonte, Italy, and produces wine. He may be young, but his wines are wonderful. I am no wine expert myself, but this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Signor Veglio, and his passion for his wines are contagious.