Stanley Tucci is back! Season 2 “Tucci in Italy” Episode 1: Naples & Campania premieres Monday, May 11, 2026, 9:00 pm EDT (US), followed immediately at 10:00 pm EDT (US) by Episode 2: Sicily on National Geographic TV (NGEO). This season, Stanley visits Naples, Campania, Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia, and Veneto. Set a reminder on your phone or record it so you don’t miss a chance to escape to Italy, even if it’s only for a little while.
Photo Credit: National Geographic TV
If you have ever wondered how long wine remains drinkable after you open it, then you will be happy to hear that Food & Wine magazine http://foodandwine.com has offered some guidance on this topic. These are general “Rules of Thumb”; it is always best to rely on your own common sense to determine if a wine is still good to drink.
According to F&W, wine generally stays drinkable for 1-7 days after opening, depending on the type and how it is stored. Sparkling wine will generally stay 1-3 days when refrigerated. To keep the bubbles, consider buying a stopper designed for sparkling wine. For light-bodied whites/Rosé, count on 2-3 days (refrigerated). Full-bodied whites can last 3-5 days (refrigerated). Red wine is good for 3-5 days (refrigerated). Some important constants to keep in mind when storing any open bottle of wine are to recork and refrigerate it. Using a vacuum stopper to minimize air contact is also a good idea. Boxed wines can last 3-4 weeks in the fridge because they are in a bladder inside the box that collapses when you draw wine out, and that keeps air contact with the wine low.
If your wine goes bad, you will know because it tastes or smells like vinegar, stale, or just plain unpleasant. When this happens, don’t drink it and throw it out. You now have a good excuse to have another glass when you open the bottle. Waste not Want not.
Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard is world-famous for producing critically acclaimed Rieslings and other wines from their cool-climate estate vineyards on the western side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. This winery blends traditional and modern winemaking methods into a harmonious fusion that showcases the benefits of its biodynamic farming practices. Their dedication to high quality is achieved by using indigenous wild yeasts to make wines in small lot fermentations that yield wines with an intense sense of place, or as the French call it, “terroir”.
We paired the Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard Riesling Semi-Dry 2021 with our brown sugar-cured ham on Christmas. The balance and slight sweetness of this wine worked perfectly with the sweet and salty flavors of the ham. When pairing wine with a main course of ham, look for one that has a hint of sweetness to complement the ham’s saltiness. Riesling is always my first choice because it can be found in a wide range of styles, but Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc are also excellent options. If you want a red, look for a light-bodied one; a nice Pinot Noir will never disappoint.
In the upstate region of New York, encircling the beautiful deep glacial lakes, the Finger Lakes Wine Country (FLX) has been the epicenter of New York winemaking for nearly two centuries. The vineyards and wineries around the eleven narrow (finger) but deep lakes benefit from them acting as heat sinks and as a result moderating the temperature close to their shores, most notably the eastern shores due to the prevailing westerly winds.
Seneca is the largest and deepest lake and has the most wineries around it. Keuka is west of Seneca, and Cayuga is to the east. Both are short drives and shouldn’t be overlooked when visiting, as they both feature outstanding wineries that will enhance your wine-tasting and scenic FLX experience. You can’t see all of Finger Lakes Wine Country in one visit, and even if you could, you would be cheating yourself out of many exciting and entertaining return visits. I recommend planning to spend two full days on your first visit to acquaint yourself with the area and learn how to efficiently navigate around the lakes. There are no bridges to cross the lakes, so you must drive around them to reach the other side. A good starting point for your adventure through this enchanting area is to stay in Watkins Glen at the southern tip of Seneca Lake or in Geneva at the northern tip to make your itinerary planning easier. A GPS or navigation app, like WAZE, is your best bet when traveling between points of interest in this rural area. They can provide valuable information about the availability of food, fuel, and other necessities. It is important to have a plan mapped out with the activities you want to do in the order you will arrive at them, while following your plotted travel path to avoid needless driving. Finger Lakes Wine Country is a wine lover’s paradise, but safety must come first when driving and wine tasting. Having a designated driver or hiring a wine tour company are your best options, but if that’s not possible, please use your common sense to keep everyone safe.
Here are a few suggestions for your consideration.
Seneca Lake (western shore):
In my opinion, Herman J. Wiemer Vineyards is the best Riesling producer in North America, and doing a tasting there is a master class in terroir.
Belhurst Estate Winery has three hotels, two restaurants, craft beer, a spa, and a castle.
Anthony Road Wine Company is a landmark winery in the FLX.
Seneca Lake (eastern shore):
The Standing Stone Vineyards story begins as a Gold Seal property with the famous wine visionaries Charles Fournier and Guy DeVaux planting Riesling and Chardonnay there in 1972 and 1974. Standing Stone continues to make excellent wines today as the sister winery to Herman J. Wiemer Vineyards.
Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery is a decades-old Seneca Lake tradition featuring a winery, gift shop, cafe, and craft brewery.
Keuka Lake:
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is the former home of the legendary Dr. Konstantin Frank, whose pioneering work growing vinifera wine grapes in the region transformed winemaking in the eastern United States into what it is today. This is an absolute must-visit winery.
Domaine LeSeurre Winery is a French winery in the FLX, enough said.
Cayuga Lake:
Hosmer Winery offers a relaxed setting with a casual tasting room.
Sheldrake Point Winery has its vineyards and tasting room on the water’s edge of Cayuga Lake.
These are only a few of the many wonderful vineyards and wineries that you will find in Finger Lakes Wine Country. I have written several articles about our trips to the area, which can be found on this blog by searching “Finger Lakes”. I hope this post has piqued your interest in the Finger Lakes because there is so much to see and do there, especially for wine lovers. Happy hunting!
If you ever have the opportunity to get out into the vineyard and pick wine grapes during harvest I urge you to participate. My wife and I did just that several years ago and it is an experience we will never forget. We picked on a beautiful sunny morning but in reality, most wine grapes are harvested at night to take advantage of the cooler air lowering the temperature of the grapes. Most of the well-known wine-producing regions of the world are located in areas that not only have a climate favorable to viticulture but a phenomenon known as diurnal shifts. Diurnal shifts are when there is a significant change in the ambient air temperature between the day and night. A good example of this would be if you have been outside all day wearing only shorts and a tee shirt but need to wear a sweatshirt and long pants after dark, then you have experienced a diurnal shift.
Sunshine allows a grape to increase its sugar content until harvest but in contrast, a grape’s acidity level decreases as it nears harvest. It can be argued that when grapes are cooled nightly sugar and acid levels are kept in balance creating a more complex wine. The diurnal shift phenomenon can be the result of different factors. In Napa Valley, it is the Pacific Ocean, the Rhone Valley has the mistral winds, and Duncan Savage proudly told me that his Cape Town, South Africa vineyards are “clapped” by winds off the Atlantic Ocean.
Now that we know how grapes arrive at their peak to be harvested the obvious question is “What are the advantages of picking them in the cool of the night?”
The first and foremost reason winemakers pick at night is to capitalize on the lower temperatures that are advantageous to producing superior wine by preserving the quality of the grapes that will be processed immediately after being taken to the winery. Grapes that have been cooled by the night air have more stable sugar levels, firmer texture, and less oxidation. This is very important when making white, Rosé, and sparkling wine but is also desirable when making red wine. Picking at night also enhances the grape’s fruit flavors and aromatics while giving the winemaker better control of the fermentation. The grapes are cooler when they come into the winery and don’t need to be cooled down before starting the winemaking process.
I have included these two links on YouTube that give us a glimpse of what harvesting wine grapes at night looks like. One video is of grapes being picked by hand and the other with a mechanical method.
https://youtu.be/ujn8N6iBRng?feature=shared Hand harvesting
https://youtu.be/we5XNeuvn1c?feature=shared Machine harvesting
You can find more videos on YouTube by searching “harvesting wine grapes at night.”
Since it is late summer and harvest is upon us, now is the time to call your local vineyards and ask if they could use help picking their grapes. For a wine lover, it is an experience you will not soon forget.
Recently my wife and I visited one of our favorite wine destinations, The Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York. We decided to stay in and explore an area new to us. Aurora, New York is on the shore of Cayuga Lake, about halfway up the lake on the eastern side. This idyllic small town is home to the now-closed Wells College and MacKenzie-Childs studio. When I am asked to describe Aurora I tell people to imagine a real-life “Hallmark Movie Channel” town.
We stayed at the Zabriskie House. It is one of the Inns of Aurora’s (http://innsofaurora.com) spectacularly restored mansions and is located in the center of town across Main Street from the lake. The eastern shore of Cayuga Lake has only a few wineries with the majority of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail member wineries dotting the entire length of the western side of the lake. On this trip, I used the Waze app through my car’s Apple CarPlay to navigate flawlessly to and from the region. While there, we relied on it to travel between wineries and find gas, points of interest, and dining options. You can find casual tavern food in Aurora at the Fargo Bar & Grill on Main Street or go just across the street for more upscale fare at the award-winning 1833 Kitchen & Bar at the Aurora Inn. When around Ithaca, home to Cornell University, and looking for a quick breakfast or light lunch then you should consider the Ithaca Bakery (http://ithacabakery.com) at their 400 N. Meadow location. We also enjoyed a relaxing lunch while overlooking the vineyards and Seneca Lake from the deck of the Ginny Lee Cafe at Wagner Vineyards.
A stop at the studios and shop of world-famous designer MacKenzie-Childs is certain to be an unforgettable experience. During our three-night stay in the Finger Lakes, we stopped at several wineries that included Montezuma, Swedish Hill, Hosmer, Knapp, Buttonwood, Sheldrake Point, Standing Stone, Wagner, and Hermann J. Wiemer.
Since we were there during the week we didn’t need to reserve a tasting time. Still, I would strongly recommend going to the website of the wineries you intend to taste at to see their protocol and make plans by booking your tasting itinerary first. This is an excellent idea on busy weekends, holidays, and during events.
We enjoyed our tasting at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard. They have a well-deserved reputation for being a producer of world-class Riesling but their other wines are also very good. The tastings are à la carte and are served in small carafes that are enough for two. You choose the wines you want from a menu with each sample priced accordingly. You are seated at your own table, not standing at a tasting bar. Each table is assigned a knowledgeable attendant to provide guidance if needed and answer any questions you may have. We are big fans of Riesling and concentrated on those wines but we did sample a very well-made Blaufrankisch. Outside their tasting room, Wiemer offers their own nursery-grown grape vines for sale. As a gift for our winemaker friend, Rich Ripepi, we brought back a Riesling vine (clone 110(9) rootstock 3309) that has now found a new home in his vineyard at Ripepi Winery & Vineyard Monongahela, Pennsylvania.
We had a wonderful time on our trip. The glacial lakes are spectacularly beautiful, the rural landscape is serene, and the residents are welcoming. If you want to take a short getaway that will leave you rested and refreshed, consider visiting The Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York. Photo Credit: wpawinepirate.com, Ripepi Winery & Vineyard, and Hermann J.Wiemer Vineyard
There is an old adage “What was old is new again”. This saying has never rung more true than it does today for the alcoholic beverage industry. As total wine sales revenue and volume continue to decline, producers are searching for trendy new taste profiles and production methods to entice new customers and lure back old ones. Co-fermenting grapes, grape skins, and wine with beer become a beverage the French call “Vière”. Vière is steadily gaining popularity in the Northeastern part of the United States and across the country. Our region has an abundance of high-quality fruit and talented beverage makers, making it an ideal environment for developing a thriving Co-fermenting community. An increase in demand for high-quality fruit enhances the opportunity for the expansion of vineyards, orchards, and fruit farms in our region. The economic implications of a sizable jump in agricultural production would provide more support for our local economies throughout the Northeast and beyond. An upsurge in vineyard acreage could lend itself to the planting of more Heritage grape varieties that are especially suitable to the production of Vière, such as Anne Noir, Bacchus, Delaware, Jefferson, Isabella, Marion, and others. These varieties have the added benefit of adapting to changing weather patterns and climatic conditions.
The process of Co-fermenting is when winemakers, brewers, or cider-makers merge and intermingle different production methods to make wine, beer, or cider that can display fun and unique flavor profiles. If you have tasted any of these beverages that have fruit added to them during their fermentation, you have experienced co-fermentation. The lines that define what constitutes wine, beer, and/or cider have become increasingly blurred. Those lines do not get any clearer when you factor in a producer’s willingness to readily accept the effects of wild yeasts, Brettanomyces, volatile acids, and certain bacteria that until recently would have been viewed as an imperfection.
The question I kept asking myself was “Who is embracing this movement toward Co-fermented beverages with unusual tastes that also includes Pet-Nat, organic, low intervention, and Piquette wines?” Is it a younger consumer demographic searching for its identity to experience something different?
For some insight into this new trend, I went to a trusted and knowledgeable source, who also happens to be a friend of mine, J. Stephen Casscles, Esq. Steve is a well-known authority on Heritage Grapes, and author of the new 2nd edition of “Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Regions of the U.S. and Canada”, which includes two new chapters on Heritage grape varieties bred in New England ( https://www.flintminepress.com/product/grapes-of-the-hudson-valley/ ) and, who has received the 2023 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association’s prestigious Birchenall Award.
I asked Steve — “As consumers, what should we know about and expect from the growing Co-ferment movement?” Steve’s comments were as follows:
First, this new trend in Co-fermented beverages will be very helpful to our fruit growers, as it is a new revenue source for our struggling growers who are looking for new markets to sell their grapes, stone & pome fruits, and berries. In addition, it helps a grower’s cash flow, as Co-ferments can be made and sold within 8 weeks of harvest, which coincidentally is just before the busy Holiday Season. This is especially true since, more and more, growers are also operating their own wineries, breweries, and cideries to process and sell their own fruit.
What many of our colleagues in the Northeast and I find fascinating about Vière and other Co-ferments is that the sum of the parts is often greater than the separate parts of a beverage that has been made separately as a wine, beer, or cider. I have had the pleasure of working with many talented brew masters of beer and cider who make these Co-ferments. These people all live near me in the Mid-Hudson Valley, New York and include Zane Coffey and Max Ocean of Subversive Brewery (drinksubversive.com); Andre Latour of Brewery LaHoff (brewerylahoff.com); J.D. Linderman, Mikey Lenane, and Bob Wise of Return Brewing (returnbrewing.com), and Denny Brownell of Heartsby True Cidery (heartsbytrue.com).
These Vières can have exciting colors of bright purple, hot pink, or electric blue, that are appealing to our younger consumers; and possess the presence and body of a wine spritzer, with half of the alcohol and calories of a standard table wine. The beverage’s carbonation can be similar to a beer, but the bubbles make the grape or other fruit flavors jump out of the glass to make a unique beverage that is not a wine, beer, or cider. The body can be as light and refreshing as a beer, but with the added complexity that grapes or other fruits can bring to it. Andre Latour of Brewery LaHoff states that “ it appeals to beer enthusiasts and wine drinkers alike. It’s a beer that almost drinks like wine. As you imbibe, you can explore the unique characteristics of both wine and beer simultaneously.” Co-ferments have the potential to exhibit many different flavor profiles, so the flavors and texture of these beverages are very broad, which is appealing to our newer and younger customers.
As an observation, I find that in making wine, the winemaker is limited to the flavor profile of the grapes that they have and that this fruit must be processed as soon as it has been harvested. With Co-ferments, the wine/beer/cider maker has much more freedom to craft the kinds of beverage colors, body, nose, taste, carbonation level, and alcohol content that the producer and customer may want. In addition, unlike in making grape wine, these fruits can be frozen and stored so that the craft brewer can make these beverages not only how they want, but when they want. This gives far more control to the craft brewer than is possessed by a winemaker.
At Dear Native Grapes Winery in Walton, NY, (http://dearnativegrapes.com) where I work to help make some wine, the owners Alfie Alcantara and Deanna Urciuoli, have been concentrating on making standard table wines, Pet Natsand Natural Wines; and are considering making wines that contain fruits other than grapes. What we are seeing is that there is a merging of how craft wines, beers, and ciders are being produced, with experimentation in the kinds of yeasts used, fruits added, and carbonation levels that are being achieved. The addition of Co-ferments to the product line-up increases the interest and draw that customers have for their winery, brewery, or cidery.
Vière and other Co-ferments are becoming more popular all along the East Coast and for beverage producers east of the Mississippi River. I welcome you to seek out your local brewery, winery, or cidery and see if they are producing these exciting beverages. For more articles on Co-ferments, see these articles that I have written, “Co-Ferments Come of Age in the Northeast”, Wine Journal (The Official Journal of the American Wine Society), Scranton, PA. vol. 56, no. 2 (2024): 16-18 and“Co-Ferments Come of Age in the Northeast: Increasing the Demand for Local Fruit”, Horticultural News vol. 104, no. 1, Winter (2024): 17-20 and Fruit Notes vol. 89, no. 1, Winter (2024): 22-25.
Either way, I recommend that you get out and try these fun and new beverages.
The North American co-fermentation movement has gained a loyal following that continues to grow and broaden in its appeal to a diverse segment of the adult beverage market. Co-fermented products provide growers and producers a shorter turnaround on their investment because these offerings can be made and sold quickly. The makers of these various co-ferments will continue to evolve their skills and techniques. They will have their successes and even more failures but the reality is that they are business people and they must be profitable to keep their operations viable in the long run. It will be not only interesting but educational to watch as this sector of the industry matures.
Thank you Steve Casscles for your invaluable contribution to this article, without it this story would not have been possible.
Photo Courtesy: Return Brewing and Subversive Brewing
A groundbreaking new book on Korean and North American Cool Climate grape varieties is now out! It is the first winemaking grape book devoted to Korean and American Native grape varieties published in Korea. What is truly unique and unexpected is that the book is printed with one half in Korean and the identical other half in English.
J. Stephen Casscles Esq. and his coauthor Young Kim have just released an authoritative first-of-its-kind winemaking grape book focused on Korean and North American Native grape varieties to be published in Korea. This text will be an influential source in the selection of grape varieties for Korean winemakers and vintners seeking guidance with their decisions on which grapes are the most compatible with their terroir and the wines they can successfully craft from them. I asked Steve to tell us about his latest book The Wine Grapes of Chungcheongbuk-Do, Korea.
“I have been working, for the past two years, with my very talented co-author Young Kim of Sanmac Winery in Yeongdong, Korea, to write and publish our book: The Wine Grapes of Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. The Korean province of Chungcheongbuk-do is a centrally located area in the Republic of Korea that specializes in fruit growing and wine production. While this book concentrates on the grape and wine industry of Korea, it has many applications for cool-climate grape growers and winemakers in North America. This is because the weather in our cool climate regions of North America is very similar to the climate and growing conditions in South Korea. Hence, these quality Korean hybrids can thrive in North America as well. Many of these Korean inter-specific hybrids are dual-purpose grapes that are not only seedless table grapes, but are very fungus disease resistant, monsoon season resistant, hardy, productive, and make quality wine.
Two years ago, I was truly blessed to have spent over two weeks in Yeongdong-gun and Seoul, Korea. Here, I met many talented grape growers and winemakers (including our book’s co-author Kim Young), visited cultural sites, and tasted wonderful Korean wines. In Korea, in addition to enjoying a wide variety of Korean cuisine, I had many fine French meals as there is an affinity for French cooking and wine in Korea. For example, in the smallish city of Yeongdong, it boasts not just one, but two quality French bakeries. The purpose of writing our book, The Wine Grapes of Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea was to put in print, for the first time, a book on Korean-developed interspecific hybrids and those grapes, many of which are grown in North America, that are currently being grown in Korea. Our book was published by the Chungbuk Grape Institute and the Wine Research Institute under the umbrella of the Chungbuk Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and the government of Yeongdong-gun, Korea, with support from the Rural Development Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
What especially attracted me to these Korean-developed hybrid grapes (that were developed by the Korean National government starting in 1963 to the present) was that many of these hybrids had “parents” that were my favorite cool climate grapes that are grown on the East Coast; grapes such as Delaware, Verdelet, Campbell Early, Himrod Seedless, and a few others. Korean grape hybrids to watch for include Cheongsoo, Cheongporang, Cheonghyang (whites) Chung Rang, and Saemaru for the reds. In addition to the Korean hybrid grapes, the book covers all of the other grape varieties used by the Korean wine industry, which are primarily American Native hybrid grape varieties such as Campbell Early, Delaware, Frontenac Gris, the NYS Geneva Experimental Station grape varieties Seneca and Sheridan, and the French-American hybrid Verdelet. In addition, the Korean industry grows several Japanese-developed hybrids, such as Kyoho, Muscat Bailey A, and Shine Muscat, which also have a preponderance of American genetic material in them, such as Campbell Early, Centennial, Eumelan, and Steuben.
If you have not been to the grape/wine regions of Korea, you should put this destination on your travel list. If you do so, I would be happy to point you in the right direction on where to go and what to see. Korea is a beautiful country with beautiful and welcoming people.
It is our hope that this book will help Korean grape growers and winemakers understand the genetic makeup, growing characteristics, and winemaking ability of the grape varieties that are currently being grown in Korea, especially in Chungcheongbuk-do. Kim Young and I hope that our collective research and knowledge gleaned from my visit to Korea and research on these grape varieties will translate into advances not only for the Korean wine industry but also for our East Coast growers of cool climate inter-specific grape hybrids. These Korean hybrids are great in the field because they are fungus disease resistant, cold/heat tolerant, monsoon rain resistant, productive, can be grown sustainably AND they make beautiful wines, especially the whites.
The book is in both the Korean and English languages. Most of these books will remain in Korea to help grape growers and winemakers there. To increase access to the North American cool climate grape/wine industry, I have been distributing our books to opinion leaders in the United States, including wine writers, university and private grape breeders, agricultural colleges, university libraries, grape growers, and winemakers. The point of publicizing and distributing this book in the United States is to tell our growers and winemakers of the existence of these wonderful cool climate grape varieties that were bred in Korea. Hopefully, we will soon be able to bring these hybrid cultivars to North America after they have gone through the importation quarantine process. This book should increase the readers’ devotion to cool-climate grape hybrids because they are productive, can be grown sustainably, and make beautiful wines. Further, it sparks more interest in cool-climate grape varieties in general, be they from Korea, the United States, or Europe.
The Wine Grapes of Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea was highlighted by the Chungbuk Grape Institute and the Wine Research Institute at the Institute’s recent tenth anniversary meeting. The book was the basis of this year’s growers’ and winemakers’ seminar. It was announced at this seminar that the book was the first winemaking grape book devoted to Korean and American Native grape varieties to be published in Korea. Because of its high demand, our book is now almost sold out, hence, we plan to go to a second printing for the United States and Canadian market. Further, this book will become available as an e-book to increase its circulation for the benefit of our cool-climate grape growers in the United States and Canada, in addition to those in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
Both Kim Young and I hope that this book will increase the reader’s devotion to cool climate grape hybrids, wherever they are grown because they can be grown sustainably and make beautiful wines. Or that it sparks an interest in cool climate inter-specific grape hybrids be they from Korea, the United States, or Europe. We will announce when the e-book is to be made available in the next few months. In addition, there is now an effort to import these sustainably grown Korean wines into the United States so that they can be enjoyed by all.”
J. Stephen Casscles, Esq. (cassclesjs@yahoo.com) has been a grape grower for over 45 years in the Hudson Valley and worked at leading wineries on the East Coast. Currently, he is a winemaker at Dear Native Grapes Winery in Walton, New York http://dearnativegrapes.com. Stephen wrote Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Regions of the United States and Canada: 2nd Ed. Revised and Updated to Include New England Grapes (2023), which details how to make wine, establish & maintain a vineyard, and the growing and winemaking characteristics of over 200 cool climate grape varieties. See https://www.flintminepress.com. His latest book is The Wine Grapes of Chungcheongbuk-do Korea. (2024). At his farm Cedar Cliff Vineyards & Nursery, in Athens, NY, he grows 88 rare French-American hybrids and 19th Century heritage grape varieties from the Hudson Valley & Massachusetts which he evaluates, makes wine from, and lectures about. He also lectures on wine, grape cultivation, 19th-century American horticulture, and landscape architecture at botanical gardens and historical societies throughout the Northeast. He is working on a new book, Grown in Queens: The Prince Nurseries of Flushing, NY, and the Birth of American Horticulture and Viticulture.
Kim Young is the owner of Sanmac Winery in Yeongdong, Korea. sanmacwinery.com She, along with her husband Youn Young-June, grows the grapes, makes and sells the wine, and is active in the Yeongdong wine industry community. She is an educator of the history of Korean wine and a certified WSET 3 Advanced Sommelier.
Thank you Steve and Kim Young for your tireless work on this book. It will be a valuable resource for winemakers everywhere.
Photo Credit: J. Stephen Casscles Esq. and wpawinepirate.com
My posts featuring reviews of mass-produced and widely distributed wines have been very popular. The wines I taste for these articles can be easily found in your area. They are made to provide customers with a consistently reliable product in every bottle.
Today’s wine is Chateau Ste Michelle Gewürztraminer Columbia Valley 2022. Chateau Ste Michelle is a mega-winery with an extensive portfolio of wines produced under several labels. Chateau Ste Michelle is again an independent entity after being a subsidiary of tobacco companies for almost forty years.
Chateau Ste Michelle Gewürztraminer Columbia Valley 2022 blends 98% Gewürztraminer and 2% Muscat Canelli. Wine Spectator gave it a rating of 88 points. It has a lush mouthfeel with a sweetness just below semi-sweet. Flavors of stone fruit dominate throughout, especially the flavors of apricots and cloves. I found it benefited from aeration. It is a perfect match for spicy Thai cuisine or similar dishes. It is a suitable companion for enjoying a quiet evening under the stars. A 750 ml bottle is usually priced at or below $13 but can be found under $10, making it a solid value choice for a weeknight wine.
If you are as big a fan of Stanley Tucci as I am, you will love this book. Stanley takes us on his lifelong odyssey with food and family. He begins with anecdotes about his childhood in the peaceful New York town of Katonah. He is the oldest of three children in a middle-class Italian-American family where the day’s activities culminate around the dining room table and what is for supper. You can hear that distinctive wry wit and humor that he is known for hilariously shining in his recollections of family events, all of which centered around food. These interactions would ultimately shape his entire life going forward. Tucci marks the milestones of his life involving people, places, and events not with dates on a calendar but with specific meals or other food-centric references. Just as he savors his life through culinary pursuits you will savor each chapter wishing you can linger a bit longer at the table with your host. The last chapter recounts his battle with oral cancer in vivid detail. He shares his candid memories, private thoughts, and emotions as his ordeal stretched endlessly over months that turned into years before his victorious complete recovery. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves and understands the impact that food and family play in how you experience your journey through life.
One final note for fans of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Stanley Tucci is returning to television. National Geographic has confirmed it plans to film a new show starring Stanley Tucci in Italy. It will be a ten-part unscripted docuseries exploring ten regions of Italy. The project will be called “Tucci-The Heart of Italy”. It will be produced by Tucci’s Salt Productions and BBC Studios’ Factual Productions.
Addio per ora 🇮🇹
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