Arturo Ciompi

So many red wines are proud of being “impenetrable” these days. You know what I mean: thick, opaque, mouth-numbingly challenging to enjoy. Don’t misunderstand, I love a complex, unctuous wine as well as the next imbiber, but sometimes a lighter-bodied wine, almost styled like the old “Chianti in a straw-colored flask” is what I want. […]

Today’s wine is “Lucente,” the second label of the “Luce Delle Vite” estate. “Luce” is an expensive, no-holds-barred “super Tuscan,” with grapes grown high atop the famous Montalcino viticultural area. Lucente sources grapes from throughout the region, but is similarly styled and a very Italian expression of the Merlot grape possibilities. (Some of you may

Europe was dancing in its cellars in 2015 – across the continent, from Germany to Sicily, healthy harvests prevailed. Portugal, after so-so years from 2012-14, was very successful. The early releases are just now coming to market. Today’s wine, from the historic Port producer Dow, announces good things. It’s Vale Do Bomfim, composed of numerous

After three recent 100-degree days, it seems another good rosé is needed – and fast! Rosés flood today’s market, and they are not all the same. Many are afterthoughts, so ask questions. Here’s a terrific one you might easily skip. It’s the Monolithos Rosé from the Bairaktaris Winery of Greece. Although Greek wines don’t have

Frescobaldi has been, and still is, on the cutting edge of Tuscan winemaking. Their rosé, with the odd name of Alìe (Al-YEH) has been produced for just three vintages. But it hit the ground running and is, in my opinion, one of the most generous tasting and substantial wines of its type. Grown in Maremma,

Today’s wine sports a black-and-white label that could have been created on your home printer. But its boldness stands out among the colorful fare out there, and might well be a gem of  presentation. “3C” implies a wine from the town of, district of and grape variety of Cariñena. The label contains much chatter promoting

An unlikely place to grow grapes, the Calchaqui Valley in Argentina is located in a rocky, desert-like region of the Andes Mountains. At 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, these irrigated vineyards are actually close to the equator; yet the warm days and very cool nights produce grapes of remarkably intense flavor. Today’s wine,

Rodney Strong is a brand that most people recognize on retail wine shelves. From the old days of that retired Broadway dancer who brought his performance flair to Sonoma winemaking, this brand now covers a large range of styles and price points. When it comes to the higher, but not highest, end of this estate,

Mulderbosch is one of the easier names to pronounce when it comes to South African wine. (Try spitting out Boekenhoutskloof or Hermanuspietersfontein … ) And that’s a good thing when it comes to finding and asking for their Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon. Year after year, this wine delivers generous flavor and fascinating fragrance. I like

California Chardonnay receives a bum rap from some. Stereotypes exist everywhere and they need to stop. Not all California Chardonnay is big, buttery, oaky and thick, but that’s the stereotype. Let’s look at one today. It’s B.R. Cohn’s single-vineyard Chardonnay, from the Carneros region of Sonoma County. All the grapes come from the Sangiacomo Vineyard.