(Originally published June 2005) Col d’Orcia’s winemaking history from its location in the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino dates back to the 1700s. The estate, owned by the Cinzano family since 1973 today makes a range of outstanding Brunello di Montalcino and Toscana wines and has recently introduced Erasmo – a super premium red from [...]
Read more →(Originally published June 2004) Brace yourself. It’s Grappa time. Known for centuries as the daily drink of Italian peasants, Grappa has lately been elevated to much more sophisticated stuff. Grappa is made from the pomace (vinaccia in Italian), which is a fancy word for what’s left over from the winemaking process. Grape skins, seeds, stems [...]
Read more →(Originally published April 2004) At long last, the people who brought us Sassicaia have brought us something new. We recently tasted the Tenuta San Guido 2000 Guidalberto Toscana ($60). It is beautifully perfumed, with elegant aromas of red fruit laced with delicate cedar and earth. Full-bodied, but with velvety smooth tannins, flavors include concentrated red [...]
Read more →(Originally published October 2003) The story behind Tuscany’s Rocca delle Macie is the stuff movies are made of, which is appropriate given its founder’s history as a producer of spaghetti westerns. Italo Zingarelli bought the Rocca delle Macie estate in 1973, fulfilling a lifelong dream of producing wines. Improbably enough, however, his fame in Italy [...]
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