Ca dei Frati’s Lugana – The Wine and Region

Ca dei Frati’s Lugana – The Wine and Region

Lugana, Italy is a picturesque area in northern Italy that stretches across both the regions of Lombardy and the Veneto. Lombardy is where Cà dei Frati resides, specifically in Lugana’s Sirmione town that borders the southern end of Lake Garda....

Piedmont: Home to the Italian Grape Nebbiolo

Piedmont: Home to the Italian Grape Nebbiolo

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

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

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 Quick Buying Guide to Rosé Wine

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

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

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...

The Italian Journey: A Two-Week Rendezvous

The Italian Journey: A Two-Week Rendezvous

Follow along on my two-week Italian Journey that entails a return after being away for two years. Departure Day I felt an interesting melange of emotions while navigating COVID tests, multiple country documents and timing. Naturally, I had...

Trends In Changing Our Wine Wardrobes

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...