Colonnara Viticultori in Cupramontana ~ In the Castelli di Jesi region of Le...
[PHOTO: Jo Diaz – Cupramontana Headquarters] To understand wine, first we need understand its culture and people. The first time I wrote that was in 2009, just prior to a trip to Portugal. This thought...
View ArticleLeaping Horse Vineyard ~ More Than a Leap of Faith
PHOTO: Jo Diaz SAMPLE: Quintessential Wines for Ironstone Vineyards: Listening to “There’s No Way,” an upbeat Powerwalk Playlist on Spotify… I’ve got this 2017 Leaping Horse Vineyard Chardonnay wine...
View ArticleWhen Opportunity Knocked ~ Siena Italy Was at the Door
[ALL PHOTO: Jo Diaz, unless noted otherwise. Shop in Sienna, Italy] PART 1 ~ CULTURE LEADS TO WINE AND FOOD In October of 2018, a door was opened for me by Bluest Sky Group, when I was invited to join...
View ArticleIf You Love Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, This Event Has Your Name All...
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated, wine grape-growing region in the United States,and has been for the nearly 39 years. The Augusta AVA surrounds the area in and around the town of...
View ArticlePairing Tuscan Wines with Tuscan Cuisine ~ Day 1
GUEST: I was a guest at Castello di Meleto, in Gaiole (the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany), as orchestrated by Michael Yurch, of The Bluest Sky Group. When we, as Americans, think of Italian...
View ArticleThe Most Embarrassing Side of Wine Travel… Musings
This was the point where I should have taken a bow… Hindsight is always 20/20 vision, right? So, I’m a guest of Colonnara Viticultori in Cupramontana ~ In the Castelli di Jesi region of Le Marche. This...
View ArticleMorgon Domaine Jean Ernest Descombes ~ A Beaujolais with Vitality
Off to the Morgon region of Beaujolais, France we go… Morgon Wines: Think in adjective sizes, for a moment: delicate, moderate, and robust. Beaujolais wines, coming from specific regions, are...
View ArticleWine Business Education Is Now Very Convenient, Thanks to Tim Hanni
I first became aware of Tim Hanni, while producing the Petite Sirah symposium (from 2002, until 2013). Tim was recommended to me as a guest speaker, by Patricia Schneider. It was then that I learned he...
View ArticleDiscovering Portuguese History, and Portugal’s Esporão Group Wines, Part 1
Why discovering Portuguese history, and some wines from Portugal’s Esporão Group, helps to put wine into an overall perspective. Culture plays an enormous role in what the flavors of wine become. Yes,...
View ArticleExploring Portuguese History and Portugal’s Alentejo’s White Wines – Part 2
Here come the holidays, and it’s when we think about wine a lot, for so many festivities, all jammed in at the end of the year. This isn’t my first story about Portuguese wines lately. I’m still...
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