The Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi is one of the most famous wine producers in Italy. Located in Tuscany and comprised of nine estates, the Frescobaldi family has been making wine for over 700 years, spanning 30 generations. They operate 1,000 hectares of vineyards which are divided into nine properties throughout the Chianti region of Tuscany. The […]

Woodinville has definitely become a must-visit destination in Washington wine country. Home of the state’s oldest, largest, and most well-known wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, the Woodinville area is also home to over 40 wineries and tasting rooms, with new ones opening all the time. Woodinville now boasts the second largest concentration of […]

Recently, we had what turned out to be an Italian reds showdown in one of our double blind private tasting dinners pitting the 2005 Pasetti Montepulciano d’Abruzzo against the 2003 Villa Artimino Riserva Villa Medicea. For a more complete description of how we set up these private tastings, please refer to How We Taste. Before […]

Through the years, we’ve had the pleasure of tasting a number of Long Shadows wines. We’ve visited their production facility in Walla Walla, Washington, attended a winemaker’s dinner with Allen Shoup and John Duval, and had their wines in our monthly wine tasting dinners as well as private dinners. However, last month, we had an […]

It’s time for another food and wine pairing challenge. As you have probably noticed, the Wine Peeps like spicy foods, so this time the menu called for a Creole/Cajun dish. As I planned the meal, I decided to prepare Shrimp Creole which I served with white rice and bayou coleslaw. If I do say so […]

We recently spent a wonderful weekend in Washington wine country. We visited vineyards and wineries on Red Mountain, in the Yakima Valley, and near the Tri-Cities. We met some wonderful people, tasted some great wines, and spent time in some of the state’s best vineyards. On the way from Seattle to our hotel in the […]

When you hear the grape varietals Barbera, Sangiovese, and Dolcetto mentioned, you probably think of Italy. These three varietals are all native to Italy but are now being grown in other parts of the world as well. While many traditional wineries make the occasional Barbera or Sangiovese varietal wine, one winery in California is focusing […]

Last weekend, we traveled to Walla Walla, Washington, to attend Vintage Walla Walla, an annual event considered to be one of the nation’s premier regional wine tasting events. It is a two-day event featuring seminars, tours, and winemaker dinners in addition to the two marquee tastings, the Vintage Pour and the Grand Pavilion Tasting. On […]

When most people think of wine country destinations in Washington State, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Woodinville immediately come to mind. One area that I have rarely heard mentioned is Spokane and that is truly a shame. We had the pleasure to spend the long Memorial Day weekend in the Spokane area, and I must say […]

Italy says it is #1 in wine production, although it admits it is a close race with France and depends on the vintage. France is #1 in wine exports and historically was #1 in production, too. Spain is #1 in acreage planted to grapes. United States is #1 in wine imports. Today, I’m going to […]