The next wine I want to talk about is really cool. This region has got a lot going on. Its capitol is Venice, which was at one time the most important cities in Europe for trade and commerce and is the most visited city in all of Italy, which.I guess makes the region the most visited. That's a lot to take in. It has depth yet has vibrancy. concur. MORE >>

This afternoon I attended a fabulous Chateauneuf du Pape (CDP for simplicity) tasting at The Tribeca Grill in downtown Manhattan. The tasting was seemingly co-sponsored by Le Du Wines and Alain Junguenet Selections. This was not one of those HUGE industry tastings. It was not a packed open to public tasting. quick note about CDP. Tough stuff. MORE >>

VERTICAL TASTING: All the wines tasted are from DIFFERENT vintages but from the SAME wine type and winery. First a 1999 Luciano Bruni Brunello di Montalcino ; Second, 1998 Luciano Bruni Brunello di Montalcino; and third a 1997 Luciano Bruni Brunello di Montalcino. MORE >>

One of my favorite cuts of lamb is the shank, the lower portion of a foreleg. Shanks are almost always braised, and I think represent one of the easiest, yet most impressive dishes you can cook at home. You can get all Middle Eastern if you want with cinnamon sticks, preserved lemons, and olives. It tastes fresher and better, more like lamb. MORE >>

From the south I chose to wax on wax off about the Nero d'Avola. Five years ago Sicily was not even close to being seen as a legit wine-producing region. That's not to say nobody in the region was making good wine it just means the good stuff was few and far between. It is said that to this day this still occurs but it is not often spoken of. MORE >>