Arturo Ciompi

Trained as a classical clarinetist and conductor, Arturo plied his trade for many years in New York, performing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York City Opera, the American Symphony and countless chamber music groups. While living in Durham, Arturo became the wine manager at two iconic gourmet stores: Fowler’s in Durham and Southern Season in Chapel Hill. He had a wine spot on NPR in the ’90s and has been a continuously published wine journalist since 1997. He has won national awards for his work and is currently writing for Durham Magazine and its weekly blog, “Wine Wednesdays”. In addition, he loves teaching the clarinet. Read more on his website.

Generous Reds for Winter Fare

Wine geeks know there are two distinct wines that suffer name confusion. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a generous grape, and wine of the same name, produced on Italy’s southeastern coast. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a Tuscan sangiovese from the village of Montepulciano. Confusing? Yes! But we persevere. I loved today’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo reds produced by …

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Last-Minute Gift Ideas!

Hot wines! On our West Coast, nothing is hotter than Sonoma Coast pinot noir. And one of the most sought-after is from the Fort Ross Vineyard. Also, wine columnist Lettie Teague of The Wall Street Journal has been recently singing the praises of northern Italy’s Barbaresco. There are few producers of this wine with a …

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White Wines to Give (or to Keep!)

Wines for the holidays can be easy to choose if you know your preferences. Lighter-bodied wines are still good in the winter for greeting guests in style. This listing has diverse wines ranging from lightest to fullest bodied. From Sicily to the Sonoma Coast, these whites will be delicious for you or for fault-free gifting. 2017 Dos …

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A Red Quartet for Thanksgiving

Many prefer red wine for Thanksgiving, plus the other holiday dishes to be served over the next six weeks. Here are four wines that will suit your traditional meal in style; they are listed from the lightest-bodied to the fullest. Although these all suit a turkey dinner with embellishments, they will do nicely for other foods …

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A White Wine Quintet for a Traditional Thanksgiving

If you love white wine with your turkey, and other main course possibilities, please consider the following choices: a vibrant California chardonnay, an overtly fragrant Greek, a volcanic southern Italian, a sugar-kissed northern and an Alsatian bubbly that also hits the right notes for your sweet potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Splurge a bit for …

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