My work in the wine business during the last 15+ years has gifted me the ability to travel to Italy. Long, winding roads, flanked by an endless sea of vineyards and farms, are common in Italy’s countryside. I have reveled in this bucolic beauty...
Savoring the European Long Lunch
My travels, whether France, Spain or Italy, always give me something profound that is an integral part of our European neighbors' lives, the European long lunch - il pranzo lungo. That tradition may seem more foreign to us here in the U.S. than any...
Italian Bubbles That You Need To Know
This time of year is always a special one with the frenetic activity of the holidays and many celebrations abound. Italian bubbles you need to know are a must for celebratory times – actually, any time. They are my go-tos for sipping, and their...
A Journey Through Northern Italian White Wines
Northern Italy is filled with a beautiful and diverse landscape of vineyards, wines, and the families who make them. Long, winding roads, flanked by an endless sea of vineyards and farms, is common in the countryside. The undulating hills remind me...
A Quick Buying Guide to Rosé Wine
Light red, salmon, pink! These are words that describe the beautiful hues of rosé wines, wines given their name because of their color. Restaurant wine lists and retail stores are full of these beauties all year long, not just in spring and summer....
The Christmas Soup Story and Recipe
Christmas Soup is a delicacy that my mother has made every Christmas Eve for more than 50 years. A recipe handed down from an Italian family friend full of spinach, mini meatballs and egg and cheese drops, Christmas Soup always has a...
A Guide to Understanding Lambrusco
Listen to article - 4 minutes. The word Lambrusco often conjures up images of the TV commercial jingle “Riunite on ice…that’s so nice” or the excessively sweet wine that our grandparents drank. While the brand Riunite put Lambrusco on the U.S. wine...
Trends In Changing Our Wine Wardrobes
This time of the year - when the humidity has dissipated and nights are crisp and cool - is one of my most favorite seasons, like it is for many people. I love the freshness that a new season brings. While I feel sad about less light-filled days, I...
Welcome to Notes to Savor, the Blog
Audio 2 minutes. Read 2 minutes. Hi, and welcome. I am so glad that you are here at Notes to Savor™. I have been working on this project for a long time - maybe too long, actually. (Insert laugh!) But finally we are here. Notes to Savor™ is a...
Vermouth – An International Cocktail Gem
Cocktails in the United States and abroad have been increasing in popularity in recent years with many playing the role of mixologist at home. Yet, an ingredient that has long been in second position to whiskey, gin or vodka in famous cocktails...
Memories of Thanksgiving Holidays, Past and Pandemic
Taking a respite from work, sitting at my home office desk with my eyes closed, memories of Thanksgiving flood me. Deep breath, meditation style – air in slowly, air out audibly - shoulders back, chest open, accepting the energy. A mélange of...
Tuscany’s Podere Il Casale Fills Us with Passion
My work in the wine business during the last 15 years has gifted me the ability to travel to Italy, a place that feels like my second home. However, I am not the guide holding a stick high in the air, flag attached, herding a group through large...