wine

The Queen of Campania Wine

(May 2016) Milena Pepe, CEO of Tenuta Cavelier Pepe, swept across the front porch of her winery to greet us with open arms and a huge Italian welcome. The winery, located in the rolling hills of Campania, looked like a small palace with tall white pillars along the front and the vineyards beyond. Milena beckoned us to line up on the porch for a photo, and then for the next two hours, she proceeded to dazzle, delight, and inform us about the unique wines of Campania and the many indigenous grape varieties she is using at her estate. Visit to Tenuta [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:27-08:00July 3, 2016|

The King of Aglianico – Piero at Mastroberardino Winery

I first met Piero Mastroberardino at Vinitaly several years ago. As a fellow professor, we immediately had something in common. He invited me to join a vertical tasting of his Taurasi Aglianico, which featured four wines from each decade of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. It couldn’t have been a better introduction to aglianico, because it made me fall in love with the grape and wine. The complex black plum, tar and earth notes, with the piercing acidity and structured tannins of the wine allows it to last for decades, and grow in complexity. Rightly called the “Barolo of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:48-08:00June 27, 2016|

The Campania Wine Region: Climate, Major Grapes and Four DOCGs

Located about two hours south of Rome, the wine region of Campania is a magical and romantic place. The word “Campania” means “Happy Land”, and the locals told us that the landscape is similar to that of Piedmont. I would have to agree because Campania is beautiful with rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, red poppies, and rocky mountain cliffs. The vineyards are also at higher elevations, ranging from 300 to 800 meters above sea level. The Beautiful Vineyard Landscape of Campania The climate is obviously Mediterranean, being close to the sea. It has hot dry summers and cool wet winters, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:45:23-08:00June 15, 2016|

A Wine Tour to Southern Italy – Exploring the Regions of Campania, Puglia and Sicily

(May 2016) We just finished a 12 day wine tour of Southern Italy, and it was truly amazing. It started and finished in Rome, but focused on the three major regions of Campania, Puglia and Sicily. We also included some cultural stops along the way such as Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast in Campania, the ancient cities of Alberobello and Lecce in Puglia, and the amazing seaside village of Cefalu in Sicily. Our Wine Delegation in Rome The following blog posts describe the highlights of the trip and the nine wineries we visited. There were 28 of us in total [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:45:43-08:00June 13, 2016|

Who Needs Chickens in the Vineyard When You Have California Quail?

May 2016 – One of the downsides of living in the country on the foothills of Sonoma Mountain is that you must haul your garbage bins up and down the hill once a week when the garbage truck comes. It was about 7:30pm this evening when I remembered I had not yet hauled up the recycle bin because it is so much larger and heavier than the regular garbage can. Therefore as the sun was sinking below a fog bank rolling in from the Pacific Ocean, I decided I should force myself to walk down the hill and roll the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:46:02-08:00June 4, 2016|

Humility, Grace and Wine – A Dinner with Steven Spurrier and Paul Draper

(May 2016) One of the marvels I’ve witnessed over the years is that often the most famous winemakers are the most humble. This is the case with Heidi Barrett, who’s 1992 Screaming Eagle broke the world record for one of the highest priced wines sold at auction, as well as with Aubert and Bertrand de Villaine from Domaine Romanee Conti, who lovingly produce some of the most coveted wine in the world from “God’s vineyards.” More recently I had a similar experience when I met Paul Draper of Ridge and Steven Spurrier, the man who launched the 1976 Judgment of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:46:24-08:00May 25, 2016|

Owl Vines & Wildlife: A Tour of the Famous Stag’s Leap Vineyard (S.L.V.)

This post is in honor of the 40th Anniversary month of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, and is an excerpt from my book: Call of the Vine: Exploring Ten Famous Vineyards of Napa and Sonoma. California Poppies Near the Vineyard Neon orange poppies appeared in clusters along the Silverado Trail as I drove to Stag’s Leap Vineyard on a breezy April day. The sky was a clear porcelain blue, not as vibrant in hue as it would become in the hotter Summer days ahead, and the temperature matched the Spring season with a moderate 68F. Vineyards marched along both sides [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:47:08-08:00May 17, 2016|

Day Four of Georgian Wine Tour – Kakheti Region, Tsinandali Palace and Khareba Winery

(March 2016) I awoke at 6:30am in the large four-poster bed on the top floor of the Hotel Mere castle. A faint light was beckoning beyond the long curtains and I knew dawn was rising over the Caucasus Mountains. Jumping out of bed, I pulled back all of the drapes that covered the floor to ceiling windows, then threw open the doors to step out on the balcony that ran around three sides of my tower room. Then I caught my breath in wonder! The view of the long range of snow-capped Caucasus Mountains was magnificent, with the rosy fingered [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:09:51-08:00April 21, 2016|

Day Three of Georgian Wine Tour – Kakheti Region, Alverdi Monastery Cellars, Schuchmann Winery and Winiveria

(March 2016) After far too little sleep again, we checked out of our hotel in Tbilisi and boarded two vans to climb over the mountain to the Kakheti Valley – about a two hour drive from Tbilisi. The further we climbed in the mountains, the twistier the road became. Soon snow drifts appeared on the side of the road, and when we reached the top of Gombori Pass, we were surrounded by snow, so we stopped to take some photos and have a snowball fight. Twisting Road Over Gombori Pass in Georgia As we descended towards the Kakheti Valley, where [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:10:13-08:00April 19, 2016|

Day Two of Georgian Wine Tour – Visit the Kartli Region and Chateau Mukhrani

(March 2016) After only about six hours of sleep, it was time to get up, grab some breakfast and jump on the bus to drive about one hour north of Tbilisi to the Kartli wine region. This is one of the oldest wine regions in the country, and is well known for its limestone soils and windy evenings, that promote fresh acids in wine. Hilltop Monestery Taken From Bus Window Guramishvili Historical Wine Cellar The drive was beautiful along a winding river, with views of ancient hilltop monasteries in the distance. Our first stop was Guramishvili Marani with its famous historical [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2022-12-20T08:32:56-08:00April 18, 2016|

Day One of Wine Tour – Tbilisi and the Georgian National Museum

(March 2016) The next morning, I awoke very excited about the first official day of our wine tour organized by the Georgian Wine Association. The first stop was fittingly the Georgian National Museum where we were welcomed with a short lecture overviewing the wine industry, and then invited to tour the museum in order to see the oldest winemaking equipment and pips in the world. Oldest Qvevri in the World We saw the oldest qvevri, carbon dated at over 8000 years. It was smaller than I expected, but then it was explained that many people in Georgia make wine in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:11:44-08:00April 15, 2016|

Key Statistics on the Wine Industry in the Republic of Georgia

(March 2016) During my five day visit to Georgia, we met with many industry experts who provided the following information. I have also supplemented this with some data from Euromonitor. Geography and Climate of Georgia The geography and climate of Georgia are ideal for growing wine grapes. The Caucasus Mountains, rising over 15,000 feet high (3000 meters) not only divide Georgia from Russia, but protect the valleys from cold and wind, so that the grapevines can flourish. The eastern part of Georgia has a continental climate, with warm summers and cool winters. It is where the majority of vineyards are [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:12:09-08:00April 14, 2016|

Five Day Wine Tour to Republic of Georgia – Getting to Tbilisi

(March 2016) When I received the email announcement of the IMW wine trip to the Republic of Georgia, I responded immediately but was waitlisted for two months before I received the good news that someone cancelled and I could have one of the 20 spots available. Turkish Airlines, with a direct flight from SFO to Istanbul and then another 2 hours to Tbilisi, had the best price, so I booked a flight and found myself pleasantly delighted with the great service, food, and wine on the plane. Their lounge in Istanbul was also amazing, and even included a golf practice [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:13:22-08:00April 12, 2016|

Master Tasting at Khareba Winery and Opening a Qvevri to Taste the Baby Wine

(March 2016) We were welcomed to Khareba Winery by an amazing site. A group of polyphonic singers seranaded us, while chefs prepared traditional Georgian food over an open fire (see video here). We were invited to help cook fresh breads, dumplings filled with herbs and minced lamb, and the amazing "churchkhela," which look like long salamis. In actuality they are walnuts placed on a string and then dipped in a molten pot of hot grape juice. They taste almost like candy. Polyphonic Singers in Black Robes, with cooking pots over fire Churchkhela. Photo by Levan Gokadze Opening the Qvevri and Tasting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:13:48-08:00April 9, 2016|

One Day Wine Tasting in the Barossa Valley, Australia

(Feb. 19, 2016) At the end of our 3 day conference, we signed up to attend the one-day private wine tasting tour in the Barossa Valley. Just like the McClaren Vale, I had visited Barossa several times previously, but this time there were some new wineries on the agenda. Previous Evening Dinner at Hill of Grace Restaurant Given the fact that we had enjoyed a 5-course dinner paired with wine at the Hill of Grace Restaurant in the Adelaide Oval Stadium the evening before, the 8am departure was a bit challenging. Especially since our dinner had started at 7:30pm with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:14:52-08:00March 9, 2016|

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