Google “GSM” and you’ll find no mention of wine on that first page of results. For a wine lover, GSM stands for the grapes Grenache (Greh-NAH-sh), Syrah (Seer-AH), and Mourvèdre (More-VED-rah) – three red beauties delicious on their own, but magical when blended together. Winemakers around the world love blends. Why? Because you can highlight…
Category: Reviews
My First Wine…since having a baby
I have missed you. And I have missed wine. I have missed this time to taste, research and write. What has kept me from you? The day I passed my Certified Specialist in Wine (CSW) exam on August 20, 2019, I also found out I was pregnant! And even before that I hadn’t been able…
Syrah? Shiraz? Both!
And I’m not talking about a blend here, they are actually the same grape variety! The term Shiraz is mostly used in Australia, but it can be used in other parts of the world, typically if the winemaker is accenting the Australian style – fruitier, higher alcohol. So how does one grape get two names? …
Sparklers!
Just in time time for New Year’s Eve (well, if you’re like me and you didn’t select your Champagne for toasting yet because you still have a few more days), here’s a little info on some sparkling wines and a few that you might try, of course under $25. Cheers to saving and sipping in…
Hurricane Party Wine
“Why don’t you come upstairs on Saturday? We have bottled water, candles and salami and I just bought a bunch of Italian wines for my Veneto study.” On Wednesday I had done a blind tasting of Italian wines at the Vin Master which inspired me to skip several chapters in the Certified Specialist of Wine…
Frost on the Grapes
O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts…
Rico Suave
“Swah-vay, like Rico Suave” she said correcting my pronunciation of the Italian Veneto region’s Soave denominazione di origine controllata (DOC). This is primarily the Garganega grape, Chardonnay and Trebbiano di Soave are allowed to play as long as 70% is Garganega. These white wines strike me as smoother and more elegant (not official wine terminology)…
NC Wine?
“Would you consider us better than Napa, equal to, or…? I was so impressed at the boldness of Lana’s question – and I’m happy to say that my answer wasn’t lip service – the wines we tasted are comparable to young vines of Napa and some of the Italian wines I’ve tried. Maybe 10 years…
CorkProf 