There are evenings that feel composed rather than simply lived—like a song that knows exactly where it’s going, yet lingers just long enough on every note. Tonight is one of those evenings. Lisa and I sit across from one another, a bottle of 2017 Dancing Heart from Cliff Lede Vineyards open between us, and already…
There are wines you admire. There are wines you collect. And then there are wines you celebrate life with. For Lisa’s birthday the last couple of years, we’ve slipped into a booth at Dallas’ Il Bracco, ordered something beautifully simple—often steak, sometimes pasta—and asked for a bottle of Tignanello. It has become our tradition. And…
Why Texas Wine—and Benjamin Calais—Deserve a Second Look I’ve been fortunate to taste wine in some of the great regions of the world. From the Rhône to Barolo, from Paso Robles to Hunter Valley, I’ve stood in cellars old and new, listened to growers talk about soils and seasons, and learned to appreciate how deeply…
There are wines you analyze—and wines you enter. Châteauneuf-du-Pape has always belonged to the second category for me. Not because it demands reverence, but because it invites memory. The story begins in the early 14th century, when the papacy relocated from Rome to Avignon. Pope John XXII looked across the Rhône Valley and saw a…
Prologue: The Sun Rises over Alta Langa As dawn painted the sky in hues of rose and gold, we awoke in the embrace of Villa Alta Langa. The promise of a day in Barolo, a realm synonymous with sublime wines and rolling vineyards, lay ahead. The air was thick with anticipation, and the echoes of…
Our epicurean ensemble, spirits high and palates primed, we bade farewell to the romantic realms of Valpolicella, a veritable garden where Bacchus himself would have reveled in ruby red rapture. Our compass pivoted east, and the lure of Piedmont’s liquid treasures steered us through the undulating embrace of Northern Italy’s winelands. Descending from the autostrade…
Nestled upon the idyllic hills above the ancient city of Verona, with the first light of dawn playing upon the verdant vineyards, the Agriturismo San Mattia offered more than rest; it promised a day of vinous exploration and serendipitous encounters. It was here, after a decade, that we found ourselves returning to the heart of…
In the realm of the oenophile, there exist moments when the essence of the grape transcends the mere act of tasting, becoming an ethereal experience that intertwines with culture, art, and the sensory tapestry of life itself. Such was the nature of my sojourn into the heart of Valpolicella, where viniculture is less an industry…
As the autumn leaves begin to paint the landscapes with a palette of auburn and gold, I find myself embarking on a journey—a pilgrimage of the senses, if you will, through the rolling vineyards of Italy. My adventure begins in the storied region of Valpolicella, a place where the vines whisper tales of tradition, passion,…
Winter hasn’t quite loosed his steely grip on the Chesapeake Bay area. Although this evening ended in a brilliant sunset with clear skies levelling golden rays through the still leafless trees in our back forest, it began with a cold, damp drizzle. But that was okay because Lisa pulled out some leftover cassoulet from the…