The Abruzzo wine region resides due south of Marche along the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy. Home to possibly the most fun grape name to pronounce: Montepulciano. One more time, Mon-te-pul-ciano! Just makes you want to talk with your hands as it rolls off your…
Understanding Italy: Abruzzo
Understanding Italy: Marche
Le Marche wine region in Italy. Located on the central eastern coast of Italy, and home to Cesare Mondavi (Father of Robert and Peter), this is a region sadly somewhat overshadowed on a global stage by its neighbors Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Umbria, yet in no short supply…
Understanding Italy: Alto Adige
Alto Adige, a wine producing region residing in the northernmost reaches of Italy, sitting just due east of the center, and producing a whopping <1% of the country’s wine production, a small, yet world-renowned region for wine production. The region is known for its Austrian influences not only…
Malbec Facts
If you didn’t know better, it would seem in the last decade a new varietal wine had been magically invented or finally discovered. During the last American recession, a new standard for structured reds just magically appeared in the marketplace hailing from Argentina, and its name? Malbec. The…
Fumé Blanc?
Today marks a first for Cameron Hughes Wine: Fumé Blanc. So what, pray tell, is Fumé Blanc? In the 1800s Sauvignon Blanc was arriving in America and by 1960 was sadly degraded into a washed up, sweet, indistinguishable wine. Robert Mondavi decided it was time to refurbish the…
Dormancy
What does wine dormancy and the winter season have in common? For those of us who celebrate daylight savings, it comes to an end this Sunday the 4th. Getting up in the mornings will be harder, and driving home from work will begin to occur under the blanket…
Calistoga AVA
Situated in the northernmost reaches of Napa Valley is the sub-appellation of Calistoga. Established in 2010, Calistoga is the home to the highest rate of steep slopes to valley floor of any AVA, meaning warm to hot days, cooler evenings, better drainage from the soils, and subsequently higher…
Chocolate & Wine
Wine and chocolate… It sounds like heaven on Earth, but there are a few things to keep in mind with regards to this delectable combination to fully enjoy your experience. Often times people will auto-pilot red wine with their chocolate, paying no mind to things like the wine’s…
Coombsville AVA
The Coombsville AVA is nestled in the cooler San Pablo Bay influenced area at the foothills of the southeastern end of the valley, hugging the Vaca range, and just east of the city of Napa (proper). The lesser known 16th sub-appellation of Napa Valley was established in 2011, which…
