The Wine Intellect

Summer is over and we are well into fall. Today's Tasting Notes are for the Il Duca Imperiale 1917 Peach . The name of this wine implies a summer drink, but I say think outside of the box. If you consider a peach harvest at the commencement of fall, you can sip this wine and bid farewell to summer without feeling as if you've committed the unthinkable in the wine world.  This light- bodied and semi -sweet wine is fresh and lovely. The obvious note at its core (on the nose and the palette) is peach. It is slightly sparkling which makes it quite lively.  Il Duca Imperiale Peach is vegan and gluten free. The alcohol content is quite low at only 5%.  It can be enjoyed with seafood, salads, and pasta or can be enjoyed on its own.  Serve this drink chilled.  It definitely make the good buy list at $12.99 from Total Wine.  I like this wine. I will admit that I do not subscribe to specific times to enjoy wine. If it is good wine, I will have it at any time. I love ...

It is one thing to speak about wine familiar to you or even wine you enjoy, and another thing to understand what others say about wine. Whether you're listening to that friend with the private cellar, speaking with an associate who collects wine or even reading a review by a wine reporter, unless you understand the language, wine speak (lingo) may be a bit intimidating (I get it, I was once there). Today, what I have done is selected a few wine terms that I will cover in three parts.  Every month, I will present simple vocabulary that will be sure to help you have a better understanding of the wine you drink and help you carry on conversation with a sommelier when you are ready to order that favorite wine at your favorite restaurant.  Please note that wine vocabulary can also be found on wine labels. Don't worry, I've got you covered. We will cover that in another post!  Body The term body , when used to describe wine, is used to describe the weight of the wine (how the w...

My introduction to wine began with what was familiar to me: Asti...Asti Spumante to be exact. Though there is nothing wrong with Asti, it was all I knew, and all I reached for.  It was more or less, safe.  When my sister returned from a semester spent in Italy, she introduced my family to Moscatos and Proseccos. With this exposure, she became our wine expert and now, we had options.  One thing I admired about my sister's approach to wine was her will to experiment. She was not afraid to chart new territory as long as she did it on her terms. Holidays brought new wines she recently discovered, and my unaccustomed palate began to develop. I have always been keen in spirits and cocktails. if you name it, I can whip it up. However, wine is in a category of its own. Though it is meant to bring people together and for enjoyment, there is a classy "air" about it that can come off intimidating.  It is often believed to be the libation of the elite, an expensive past time, or...