wine

Visit to Domaine Zind Humbrecht – Home of Classic Alsatian Riesling and More

(October 2016) – The sun was starting to break through the clouds when I arrived at Domaine Zind Humbrecht at 2pm in the afternoon. Olivier Humbrecht and his adorable black bulldog came out to greet me in front of the modern style winery, set among the vineyards near the small town of Turckheim. I had met Olivier on an MW wine trip to Tbilisi Georgia earlier in the year, and so I was prepared for the very tall (6 foot 5 inches) impressive French man who is one of the very few in the country who have passed the MW [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:27:42-08:00November 9, 2016|

Alsace – One of the Most Beautiful Wine Regions of France

(Oct. 2016) Though there are other more famous wine regions in France, it is hard to dispute that Alsace is one of the most beautiful. With the vineyards flowing down steep hillsides to nestle against storybook villages filled with cobble stone streets, candy colored houses with bright flower boxes, and giant white storks nesting on rooftops, it seems as if the region is part of a fairytale. Wine Village in Alsace The wines are also exquisite, with a focus on dry, semi-sweet, and dessert styles made primarily from riesling, pinot gris, muscat, and gewürztraminer. There is even a large cremant [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:29:14-08:00October 30, 2016|

Cite du Vin – Amazing Architecture and Wine Exhibits

(Sept. 2016) Probably one of the most exciting afternoons I spent in Bordeaux was visiting the new museum that just opened called Cite du Vin. Several years in the making, the unique modern architecture was designed jointly by the male and female team of Legendre and Desmazieres. The design is supposed to reflect the Garonne River that flows outside, and mesmerizes with its swirling mass of silver and gold metal with mirrors. The Swirling Architecture of Cite du Vin - to emulate the Garonne River The price of admission is 20 euros, which includes all of the exhibits plus a [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:33:36-08:00September 22, 2016|

Five Ways Wine and Whisky Are Alike

Also published in the Huffington Post If you love wine but your partner prefers Scotch whisky, do not despair that your tastes are miles apart. Even though the high alcohol content of Scotch may seem overbearing to a wine drinker, and the subtle aromas of wine not as exciting to a Scotch advocate, these two beverages actually have more in common than you may have assumed. In fact, there are actually five ways in which wine and Scotch whisky are alike. Scotch Whisky Aroma Wheel at the Whisky Experience in Edinburgh Scotland 1# - Both Are Fermented Beverages [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-04-03T07:44:46-07:00September 8, 2016|

Wineries in Scotland – Yes, There Are Five or So…

(June 2016) Generally the first step I take before visiting a new country is to research their winery situation. However, when preparing to travel to Scotland on a golf and whisky trip with my husband, I decided to wait until I actually arrived in the country to jump online and do a search, because Scotland is not exactly known for wineries. But guess what I discovered? There are wineries - of a sort - in Scotland, and it is possible that with global warming, there could be more in the future. The Beautiful Greens of the Old Course in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-04-03T07:41:40-07:00September 4, 2016|

Wine in Scotland – Why It’s Whisky of Course!

(June 2016) During my recent trip to Scotland, I was amazed at how similar the Scotch Whisky production process is to wine. Not only does whisky go through a fermentation process like wine, but it is aged in oak barrels, can be blended or produced as a single malt (similar to a single grape varietal with wine), can express terroir, and experts use a similar process to taste and evaluate whisky as they do with wine. After my visit to Scotland, I came away with a much greater appreciate for Scotch whisky. Edinburgh Castle Brief History of Scotch [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-04-03T07:38:49-07:00September 1, 2016|

The Breathtaking Views and Wines of Abbazia Santa Anastasia

(June 2016) That morning we checked out of our hotel in Messina around 8am and drove about an hour and a half along the northern coast of Sicily towards Palermo. Our destination was Abbazia Santa Anastasia, which is a winery housed in a 12th century Abbey where the Benedictine monks were making wine more than 900 years ago. Stone Courtyard at Abbazia Santa Anastasia In the 1970’s the old abbey was purchased by the current owner and converted into a winery with a hotel and restaurant. Perched on a hilltop only 7 miles from the ocean, the abbey has amazing views [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:37:49-08:00August 23, 2016|

Visiting Planeta Winery on Mt. Etna, Sicily

(June 2016) The next morning we left the hotel around 9:30 to drive to our 11am appointment with Planeta Winery at their Feudo di Mezzo location on Mt. Etna. Planeta actually has six different wineries across the island, all with unique names, but they all fall under the family brand name of Planeta. Mt. Etna with Smoke on Top from Earlier Erruption First Glimpse of Mt Etna – Awe Inspiring The drive from Messina to Mt Etna was beautiful, with colorful red and pink flowers along the highway and the blue sea twinkling at us. When we rounded a corner [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:40:34-08:00August 14, 2016|

Donnafugata – A Legendary Sicilian Winery

(June 2016) Donnafugatahas always been one of my favorite Italian wineries – ever since I had tasted their magical wines at VinItaly several years ago. The experience of tasting their famous dessert wine, Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria, with its honey, apricot and nutty notes, has long stayed on my palate memory. Even more memorable were the photos they showed me of the zibibbo grapes that went into the wine. Growing on the tiny island of Pantelleria, south of Sicily and closer to the coast of Africa, the vine must be protected in holes dug into the sandy volcanic soil [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:41:01-08:00August 11, 2016|

Driving from Puglia to Sicily via Basilicata and Calabria

(May 2016) Though most people take an airplane flight to Sicily, since we were already in Puglia and had a big comfortable bus with a great chauffeur for our 28 travelers, we decided to drive. It turned out to be an excellent decision because we were able to see some very beautiful parts of Southern Italy, including the non-touristy provinces of Basilicata and Calabria. The Beach in Scilla, Calabria Basilicata – Home of Aglianico del Vulture We left our hotel at 8am and eventually came to the border of the Basilicata province. Basilicata was similar to Puglia, in that the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:41:50-08:00August 3, 2016|

Alberobello and Lecce – Two Key Cultural Sites of Puglia

(May 2016) Because Puglia is one of the oldest regions of Italy – colonized by the ancient Greeks in the 8th century BC – it is considered to have many important archaeological and cultural aspects. We visited two of these, namely the village of Alberobello and the walled city of Lecce. Trulli Houses in Alberobello Amazing Alberobello - Fairytale Town with Conical Stone Houses When I read about the village of Alberobello on my previous trip to Puglia and didn’t have time to visit, I made a promise to myself that I would return and stay there some day. Therefore, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:11-08:00August 2, 2016|

Cavorting at Cantine Cantele – A Joyful Winery in Puglia Focusing on Negroamaro

After lunch in the historic walled city of Lecce, we drove about one hour north to Cantine Cantele, a large beautiful winery housed in an impressive white stucco building in the country. We were welcomed by Federica in Hospitality who had warned us in advance that Cantine Aperte was taking place in Italy that weekend. Cantele Winery - Photo Credit: Cantele.com “What is Cantine Aperte?” I asked. “It sounds like ‘winery open’.” “Yes,” she said, “It means that most of the wineries in Italy have an open house that weekend, and that anyone can visit the wineries and taste wine [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:34-08:00July 31, 2016|

Cantine San Marzano – Home of the Best Primativo in Puglia, Italy

When I contacted Angelo Cotugno, Export Manager at Cantine San Marzano, to see if we could schedule a winery visit on Sunday morning at 11am, I didn’t realize that wineries are usually not open on Sunday in Italy. Since I’m from Napa/Sonoma, where Sundays are often one of the busiest wine tourism days, I was caught off guard when Angelo informed me they were not open. “However, we will open the winery especially for you!” These were such sweet words to my ears, and so incredibly kind – illustrating the warm hospitality of Puglia. Indeed, not only did Angelo show [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:57-08:00July 29, 2016|

Overview of Puglia Wine Region

(May 2016) Driving from the hills of Campania to the flat dry plains of Puglia illustrated the strong difference between these two famous wine regions of Southern Italy. However, even though they are very different in landscape and grape varietals, it only took us two hours to drive from Benevento to Alberobello, the ancient and charming town we stayed in for our two days in Puglia. Alberobello is a Unesco World Heritage site because of its unusual “trulli” architecture – tiny conical shaped houses made of stone. Truilli Architecture in Alberobello, Puglia The Unique Beauty of Puglia’s Landscape and Climate [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:43:45-08:00July 10, 2016|

Cultural Sites of Campania: Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

(May 2016) During our two-day visit to Campania, we stayed in the town of Benevento. This town is in the heart of wine region, and is very Italian with few tourists. I think we may have been the only Americans in town. At most of the restaurants, they only spoke Italian. However, everyone was very friendly, the prices were inexpensive, and the old quarter of town was charming. Wine and Home Cooked Food at Mama Nunzio's Nice Hotel and Excellent Home-Cooked Italian Food in Benevento We stayed at the Grand Hotel Italiano. The staff here was very welcoming and helpful. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:05-08:00July 8, 2016|

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