So, like, what is this stuff, anyway?
I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes with you via twitter (limited to 140 characters). They are meant to be quirky, fun, and easily-digestible reviews of currently available wines. Below is a wrap-up of those twitter wine reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find these wines, so that you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

• 09 Pine Ridge Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): If you're fond of sandalwood, then you've found your vinous aroma candle. $80 A- >>find this wine<<
• 11 Cantele Amato Red (Salento): Dark cherries that are sporting enough smoke and stern poker faces for a card tournament in Vegas. $22 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 13 Luca Bosio Vineyards Leda, The Truffle Hunter Barbera (Barbera d'Asti): Easy company, if a bit overly fond of cloying phrases. $14 B- >>find this wine<<
• 12 Hugel et Fils Riesling Hugel (Alsace): Limes, a lingering laugh, a playful attitude, a winning smile, and a steely glance. $22 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 10 Juslyn Vineyards Rescue Red (Napa Valley): Afraid of a little herbs-n-spice in your glass? Just get over it, already, & enjoy. $80 A- >>find this wine<<
• 06 Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs (Champagne): The apples are fresh, sweet, and they're downright thirst – and soul – quenching. $55 A- >>find this wine<<
• 13 Donnafugata Lighea (Sicily): A lingering, exhaled sigh of relief, with breath that's fresh, floral, fun, & not easily forgotten. $23 B+ >>find this wine<<
• 12 Tenuta Rapitala Nadir Syrah (Sicily): Emphatic statements on the mic from Sicily, delivered on spicy, blueberry pedestals. $16 B >>find this wine<<
• 11 Shah Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): If only this minty, sweet, richly rewarding ride were just a *tad* longer… $150 A- >>find this wine<<
• 12 Shah Napa Valley Chardonnay (Napa Valley): Coombsville speaking the Chard language of love, with a booming, richly toned voice. $65 A- >>find this wine<<
• 10 Selbach-Oster Gracher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese (Mosel): Honey-lemon and ginger spread across long slate serving plates. $33 B+ >>find this wine<<

The second installment of my (drunken) Tokaj Furmint adventures is now available, embedded below for your viewing edu-tainment!

In this week’s video, you’ll meet the affable (and very, very tall) Gergely Makai, winemaker at the famed Tokaj-Hétszőlő. In this episode, Gergely and I manage to combine modern winemaking, Jedi Knight mind tricks, one of the coolest wine cellar spaces on the planet, and European history dating back to the early 1500s, involving kings and Ben-Hur-style chariots.

Yeah, I really, actually do get paid to do this shizz! For the full run-down of the vids released so far – and for the detailed scoop on dry Hungarian Furmint wines in general – head on over to FurmintUSA.com.

Enjoy, preferably with a glass of Hungarian vino:

 Furmint Adventures – Episode 2.: Tokaj-Hétszőlő Vineyards

Cheers!

What does great music have to do with killer Italian vino?

I’m not 100% sure, either, but we’re going to find out at VINO 2015 in NYC, when the Italian Wine Week and Convention takes over the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue February 1-4!

VINO 2015 will showcase 200+ Italian wine producers, and the days are scheduled to be filled with some very intriguing informational sessions and discussions, led by some serious fine wine personalities.

Thanks to my music background, I’ll be on the docket on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 3:30-5pm for Vino e Musica: The International Language, moderated by City Winery’s Michael Dorf. Joining me in the discussion will be Master Somm and nigh-indefatigable hardcore heavy metal music fan Fred Dexheimer, as well as Jon Morrell, the celebrated opera tenor (which I personally equate with being a bad-ass, but that’s just me).

More info. in the screen print below (click to embiggen), with the full program available here for your perusal, along with details on how to register for the event.

I hope to see you there!

Cheers!