Not only did I get to meet some fantastic Calabrese winemakers VinItaly International, I got to meet winemakers with my name! My last tasting of the festival was with Ermano and Gabriela Falvo who have been making wine at Masseria Falvo since 2004. They have 26 hectares planted almost exclusively with grapes indigenous to Calabria. […]
Falvo’s Flights
Falvo’s in Flight
What’s for dessert? A selection of cheeses from the Veneto and tiny bowls of candied frutta. Nastro Azurro sits across from Verona Arena providing a lovely view of the Piazza where you can sip Prosecco and watch locals and tourists on their evening passegiata.
Falvo’s in Flight
I found my people Vinitaly International ! All regions of Italy are well represented Vinitaly, but I couldn’t wait to get to the area with Calabrese wines. Calabria is the tip of the boot of Italy, spanning from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian Sea in the south of the country. While I have not yet […]
Falvo’s in Flight
Fresh foods are abundant in Costa Rica. This colorful, healthy and delicious hearts of palm salad was found at a cute little beach bar on the north end of Playa Potrero. Las Brisas Potrero is a great place to stop for an Imperial and lunch on the way to Playa Penca, or just a spot […]
Falvo’s in Flight
Summer is coming!!! This pair from Lewis Wines should be on the ready in your fridge. Swim spot is a refreshing blend of Albariño and Blanc du Bois, a grape developed to thrive in the Texas climate and to resist the deadly Pierce’s disease. The 2016 Parr Mourvèdre Rosé is simply delicious and packed with […]
Falvo’s in Flight
Did you ever think you would see a botrytized wine from Texas? Botrytis is utilized throughout the world in order to produce several iconic dessert wines such as Sauternes and Tokaji Aszu. The fungus, also known as “Noble Rot,” causes the skins to become porous and allows the grapes to dehydrate and thus concentrate the […]
Falvo’s in Flight
A private tasting under the redwoods and next to a cherry tree in bloom was a beautiful way to start our day. The drive through the redwood forest from Saratoga alone was worth it. But, we also got to taste some gorgeous Beauregard Vineyards wines, all made from grapes sourced within miles of the tasting […]
Falvo’s in Flight
A head trained, cane pruned vine above the tasting room at Ridge Vineyards Montebello. You can see the bits of decomposed Franciscan green stone mixed with clay and loaf at the base of the vine and behind it to the left. This lays atop fractured limestone. It is here, at approximately 2300-2600 feet that the […]
Frappato? How Would You Know?
I opened a bottle of Frappato this evening, hoping to tell you all about this little-known grape from Sicily and found that the one I had simply did not conform to the Frappatos that I had previously known. The first time I had a Frappato, I was jazzed. It was a cool, new grape for […]
Falvo’s in Flight
This bottle was my favorite pick from The Austin Wine Merchant Wines of South Africa Tasting yesterday. We were fortunate to pick up the last bottle of the Villion Henning 2016 Chenin Blanc that was in stock. Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted varietal in South Africa, occupying approximately 20% of acreage under vine. […]