2013
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“Super-duper Tuscans gonna blind me
They call it Pallagrellooooo
29 Jan2013
Alepa Riccio Bianco Pallagrello Bianco 2010 & Nanni Cope’ Sabbia di Sopra il Bosco 2009
It was a combination of the inner, studious geek within me and this article ‘Grape varieties you’ve never heard of’ by Jancis Robinson that had me keen to research and understand the Pallagrello varieties of Campania in southern Italy.
Winemaker Profile: A week with Lorenza Sebasti of Castello di Ama
18 Dec2012
[This article was first printed in the latest Summer/Autumn newsletter for my workplace. I have adjusted it to be a little more casual for LDdV.]
Castello di Ama is a unique place, a fusion of art and vines, located in the heart of the historical zone of Chianti Classico in Gaiole. The 90 hectares of vineyards sit high up in the quiet hamlet of Ama, surrounded by rolling hills of calcareous soil full of shale and large rocks. This land is what defines the Castello di Ama terroir and makes it such an inimitable landscape for vines. The property is run by Lorenza Sebasti and her highly skilled winemaking husband and former President of the local consorzio, Marco Pallanti. Together they are ambassadors for the great wines of Chianti Classico.
Bibemus & ABBA do Chianti & the Super-duper Tuscans
4 Dec2012
“Super-duper Tuscans gonna blind me
But I won’t feel blue
Like I always do
‘Cause Chianti’s in the crowd there too”
[Apologies from the daggy Krystina for ruining Abba’s Super Trooper song. On a side note, did you ever notice how annoying Agnetha’s pointing arm gets after the third time?]
Wine Reviews November
13 Nov2012
Olivers Taranga Fiano, Pikes Premio Sangiovese, Freeman Corvina Secco
I recently spent a week up in the sun-drenched town of Mildura as an associate judge for the Australian Alternative Varietal Wine Show. In the lead up I found myself embracing all things alternative, delicious and interesting.
Wine Reviews October
16 Oct2012
I thought I might experiment with my wine purchasing habits and see whether buying a wine based on a pretty label would lead me to an equally pretty wine. So I trotted off to some wine shops and even pulled a good-looking bottle from the cellar and put the labels and wines to the test.
Bru & Nell’s Excellent Adventure
2 Oct2012
The Original: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
“Brunello, exceedingly elegant and vibrant, with more complexity than muscle, won my heart.” – Kerin O’Keefe, from ‘Brunello di Montalcino’
Last week I hosted a tasting with Mark Protheroe looking at twenty-two Brunello di Montalcino wines of the 2007 vintage. The aim was to provide a thorough spread of producers to highlight the differences between the unofficial sub-regions of the Montalcino area. Below are some brief tasting notes and detailed information of the tasting, including what I wrote for the tasting booklet. If you do read right until the end, you may come across an interesting character with beady red eyes that some like to refer to as ‘Suckzilla’. You have been warned…
I Dream of Gene [Kelly]
25 Sep2012
Dancing the Salsa as part of the Street Latin bronze medal
Dancing has had me enamoured ever since I was a little girl. I grew up watching the old musicals such as ‘Calamity Jane‘, ‘Annie‘, ‘Oliver‘, ‘The Sound of Music‘ and my favourite, ‘Singin’ In The Rain‘. Consequently, music and dance have always played an enjoyable part in my life.
Wine Reviews September
18 Sep2012
Spring has arrived and brought with it welcome bursts of sunshine. Keeping in line with the season, I thought I would write about three different styles of wine where each bottle bursts open in a shower of beads.
Brunello Club – “Say hello to your friends”
11 Sep2012
For most of the people who stumble across this blog, the reference in today’s title may be lost. However if you were a young lass like me in the ’90s, you’d be well aware of this ol’ chestnut and the theme song’s tag line, “Say hello to your friends“. It also inspired this:
Photograph from the 1995 film ‘Baby-Sitters Club’
What is with my infatuation with Brunello di Montalcino of late?
Well there is an event that I am organising with Grossi restaurant’s wine buyer, Mark Protheroe, under the Sommeliers Australia umbrella. We have organised a grand total of twenty-one wines, some of which have come directly from the Brunello Consorzio and are thus unavailable in the country. They all hail from the 2007 vintage and will be available at this one tasting.
Bibemus Boozes on Barolo & the Red Panty Threesome
28 Aug2012
On Monday the 20th August, an Italian-loving wine club experienced an evening entitled ‘Bibemus Boozes on Barolo‘. While it may not be the most eloquent choice of expression in relation to such a noble wine, it was deemed delightful by Bibemus’ core members nonetheless.
Bibemus boards the Brunello train. With surprise guest, Jean Claude Van Damme
10 Jul2012
During June’s waxing crescent moon and under the watchful eye of team Bibemus, fourteen Italophiles converged in the darkness outside the Carlton Wine Room and craned their necks towards the sparkling night sky.
Together they chanted:
Adapted by La Donna del Vino
The stars twinkled back at the happy group. Their wish would be granted.
The importance of Italian grape varieties to the Australian wine industry
22 May2012
“Ask not what your country can do with my grapes, but what my grapes can do for your country.” Err, sure thing, Berlusconi.
An essay submitted for the 2012 Lorenzo Galli Estate Wine Scholarship
By Krystina Menegazzo
WHY AND HOW ARE ITALIAN GRAPE VARIETIES IMPORTANT TO THE AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY? DISCUSS FOCUSING ON AT LEAST TWO VARIETIES.
La Donna del Vino
"'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'" - Hans Christian Andersen
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