Monthly Archives: August 2010

Farm to Table Fun!

Recipe for a Successful Wine Dinner: Ingredients 1 part Delicious Food 1 part Fine Wines 1 part Great Service 1 part Engaging Guests Method Place all ingredients in a relaxing, comfortable location. Mix well. Enjoy! Wednesday night’s Farm to Table Dinner at the Old Village Post House was a wonderful example of the how these different aspects meld together to … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: I knew it! Drinking makes you smarter!

While some may follow the “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” advice, as a sommelier I tend to lean more toward “a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away”. According to a recently published article, I might really be on to something! “Wine May Cut Decline in Thinking Skills “ Enjoy…your heart and mind will thank … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: Tasting with Pierluigi Lugano.

I am in Chiavari, found on the Italian Riviera and best known for its chair-making, lace and silk production. However, one of my very favorite importers of wine to the US, Neil Rosenthal, represents a winemaker here named Pierluigi Lugano, and it is he, along with the Bisson Enoteca/winery, that I am here to see. Pierluigi started Bisson in 1978, … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: Roadway Adventures!

Wrenching myself from the beauties of Piedmonte is not an easy thing to do. I have fallen in love with the region’s food, wine and natural beauty, but I console myself with the excitement of future adventures and a quiet promise to myself that one day I will return. Even though I am at the foot of the Alps, I … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: Some Tasting Notes From Piedmonte.

I was privileged to have the opportunity to taste through many wines at wineries, oenoteccas (wine bars) and restaurants while in Piedmonte, from some tremendous producers like Rinaldi, Ratti, Marchesi di Barolo, Bovio, Chiarlo, Gaja and Pio Cesare. I have really fallen in love with their complexity, purity of flavors and fine balance. The reds make terrific pairings for many … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: Piedmonte, North West Italy.

I am struck by the sheer natural beauty of this place. Green, lush hills contrast with the red terracotta tiled roofs. The crisp mountain air makes it feel very pristine; cool in the shade and very warm in the direct bright sun. Everywhere one looks there are grapes being grown. It is the season for “veraison” when the grapes start … Read More

Straight Up! with Patrick: Rooms with a View.

It is the light.  Beautiful, glorious streams of light pierce through the broken clouds and reflect off of the glistening airport tarmac.  This is the most striking thing that I notice upon arrival in Milan, Italy.  I am gearing up for a journey that will take me through some of the greatest wine regions on this planet and I am … Read More