My first visit to Pira was a few years ago, and the visit was hilarious. My family and Pira together. We spoke little italian and he claimed to speak very little English. He was either being modest or he got better over the years because he spoke English very well this year. He was accompanied…
When you visit with Nadia it’s more like a casual aperitivo than a wine tasting. She offers some salami and cheese, opens a few wines and you just sit around and drink together. I always love coming here, I just have the best time. Nadia is wonderful, extremely funny and very kind. It was a…
During my visit to Beaune this summer, Joseph Voillot was my first visit. It was funny because I emailed them thinking I would probably get the same response as I’d been getting from all other producers saying: “we are closed, we do not take visits”, etc etc. However, he replied that we were welcome to…
It’s not as easy to get visits with winemakers in Beaune as it is in Barolo, but I was lucky enough to get us in at Michel Lafarge. Personally I do not have a lot of experience with the wines, but I follow the family and winery on social media and know a little about…
This was my first time visiting Gianfranco Alessandria, although not the first time trying his wines. His two daughters, Vittoria and Marta, showed us around and tasted with us. Gianfranco took over the winery after his father died in 1986, which happened to be the year of the freak hailstorm that destroyed all the vines,…
In March I went to Manzone for the first time. The winery is located a little outside of Monforte. I was lucky to meet Mirella, Giovanni Manzone’s daughter. Mirella joined her father at the winery in 2012. Giovanni bought a plot of land in 1925 and started making wine, and today they produce 9 different…
I have been the Piemonte region quite a few times, and each time I try to visit some new places. On the list this time was Revello. My good friend Elena is the daughter of the winemaker and she was able to arrange a visit, a tour of the cellar and a tasting of some…
Yet again I had the pleasure of joining a winemakers dinner, this time with Oddero. The tasting took place at Festningen in Oslo, a very good restaurant, and Pietro from Oddero was present. I only really know Isabella, Pietro’s cousin, so it was a pleasure to get to know him as well. First of all,…
I recently discovered, and befriended, the winemakers at Azelia. Located at the bottom of Castiglione, next to Paolo Scavino, you find the not so small winery of Azelia. It just so happens that Azelia, Cavallotto and Scavino are all related– welcome to Barolo! At the Azelia winery, Lorenzo the son is now the 5th generation…
Hedonism wines was of course on my To Do List when I was in London. I had asked around, and most everyone told me that this was a Must See. And they were right. The store was incredible. When you walk in, the first floor is filled with wine, the bottles surrounded by very nice…