Tag Archives: Piedmont

September 6, 2016 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Sierra Reed Milne from Reed Wines

Growing up in Southern California presented an incredible opportunity to Sierra Reed Milne when she was scouted for a modelling career at a young age, which in turn gave her the chance to travel and experience other cultures. After gaining a following on the 18th season of Survivor, she dreamed of becoming a television travel program host, but couldn’t have imagined that it would be realised in New Zealand. It was here that she began her wine journey after working closely with the Family of Twelve, a journey that has led to her marrying an Australian, and making her own wine based in Victoria. Check out my Let’s Taste video of one of her wines here!

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Sierra Reed Milne from Reed Wines

Sierra Reed Milne from Reed Wines

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January 12, 2016 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Daniel Fischl from Linnaea Vineyards

Daniel Fischl didn’t find working in laboratories particularly appealing, and whilst completing a PhD in Plant Molecular Genetics at UC Davis (California) he was introduced to viticulture and was seduced with what lay outside. It also helped that the viticulture and winemaking students seemed to have more fun. Fast forward many years of experience consulting as a viticulturist and agricultural scientist, he and his winemaker wife Michelle started the Linnaea Vineyards project with a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. As he got work consulting in vineyards around the world he and Michelle discovered more terroirs and made more wines, across a number of continents and expressions.

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Daniel Fiscal from Linnaea Vineyards

Daniel Fiscal from Linnaea Vineyards

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April 1, 2015 · 9:26 am

Vittorio Bera – Vinitaly 2015

Arcese 2013
Nice open mineral oxidative notes. Quite leesy cheesy texture not showing the fruit as much, less aromatics.

Le Verrane Barbera 2012
Nice soft earthy meaty herbal subtlety. Bright fresh evocative vibrant bubbly wine.

Ronco Malo Barbera d’Asti 2012
Bright floral notes but some pretty stink. Tight lean savoury mealy tannins, expressive but fresh, nice and clean on the palate.

Mai Dire Mai 2012 Cabernet
Fairly classic. Not bad, not outstanding. Quite a bit of tannin.

Bricco della Serra Dolcetto 2010
Very very stinky nose, very wild explosive.

Moscato d’Asti 2013
More subtle and mineral now, lighter more focused textural. But still lovely musky concentration. A great wine.

Alessandra Bera from Vittorio Bera

Alessandra Bera from Vittorio Bera

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March 31, 2015 · 1:30 pm

Giuseppe Rinaldi – Cerea 2015

Langhe Nebbiolo 2013
Quite subtle, haunting almost, delicate freshness, deceptive tannins, elegant and long, in a league of its own.

Barolo Brunate 2011
Lovely lithe expressive elegant soft subtle long full structured approachable.

Barolo Tre Tine 2011
A little bit more brooding and closed, very serious intensity. Fuller more intense structure on the palate, more tannin, more crunch, needs more time.

Rinaldi Langhe Freisa 2013

Rinaldi Langhe Freisa 2013

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January 16, 2015 · 11:26 am

The Intrepid Wino drank things in 2014

Last year was a particularly good year for drinking for me, I have to admit it. Thanks to all the fantastic people I met and venues I discovered, who all work with some beautiful products, I got to both taste and drink (sometimes a bit too much) some amazing stuff. Some of these wines were tasted at events or trade tastings, some at my favourite bars & restaurants, and a few were tasted at wineries I visited (which was too rare in 2014). You’ll notice that many of these wines are Italian which very much reflects where I was at this year working for an importer of Italian wines, and also visiting Italy in June.

Let me know what you think, and tell me in the comments what were your highlight wines for 2014.

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2014 was a momentous year as it was the first time I tasted Claret!

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January 8, 2015 · 9:00 am

The Vincast with Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

Peter Scudamore-Smith was Australia’s second ever Master of Wine, the most illustrious title and qualification one can receive in the wine industry. He has led a fascinating life of wine, and he joined me on the first episode of 2015 to discuss his origins in wine, working in both Australian and European wine markets, and how his love of Italy and France has led him to take tours there as part of his business Uncorked and Cultivated.

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Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

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December 17, 2014 · 3:11 pm

Piedmont Tasting – Boccaccio Cellars (14/12/2014)

The new Boccaccio Cellars store has opened and they’ve already started to have regular – and amazing – tastings each week. This past Sunday I popped in to taste some wines from the Alba area of Italy, here are my notes on them.

Photo courtesy of Paul Kaan, AKA Filthy Good Vino (http://filthygoodvino.com/filthy-good-vino/)

Photo courtesy of Paul Kaan, AKA Filthy Good Vino (http://filthygoodvino.com/filthy-good-vino/)

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August 23, 2014 · 7:29 pm

The Vincast with Giorgio de Maria

The one and only Giorgio de Maria joins me on the show in this episode. As one of the leading lights of the natural wine movement in Australia, Italian-born Giorgio is behind such Sydney institutions as Vini and 121BC. He is also one of the organisers of the Rootstock Festival, this year held in Sydney for the second time, and next year to be held in Hong Kong. He share a bit about his background and how he came to work with wines of this calibre.

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Giorgio De Maria

Giorgio De Maria

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July 23, 2014 · 9:31 am

Old Friends and New – Langhe, Italy 3rd June 2014

I’m not sure if it was just the jet lag but there was a surreal feeling returning to Italy, the place that had the most profound impact for me on my big trip a few years ago. After some 18 hours in transit and only six hours sleep on a plane in two days, I collected my Fiat 500 (the same car I had last time) from Malpensa airport and set off for Alba in Piemonte.

This is what I look like after 18 hours of transit.

This is what I look like after 18 hours of transit

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July 13, 2014 · 8:23 pm

Marco Brangero – 5/06/2014

Langhe Arneis 2013
Stainless steel fermented and kept on lees for 2-3 months.
Very bright fruits, slightest hint of green minerality. Quite intense on the front, nice and clean with a bit of length.

Langhe Chardonnay 2012
Classic fruit profile on the nose, quite ripe fruit, stone fruits, peaches. Texture of malolactic and oak, modern international style.

Langhe Chardonnay 2006
Quite shy on the nose in fact, showing some richness and tastiness. Quite lovely in fact, nice balance, fruit settled down well, good texture.

La Ginestraia Pigato 2013
Very pale and light in colour, interesting honeysuckle character. Tight lean herbs and quince, nice saline quality.

Via Maestra Pigato 2012
The variety is hidden by oak and malolactic notes. Sort of defeats the purpose.

Dolcetto Diano d’Alba 2012
A sharpness to it, a bit of bite, finishes nice and soft. A bit sharp in the mid-palate, food reliant.

Barbera d’Alba 2011
Very classic clean expression, soft yet focused with nice balance. Slightest hint of savoury nose, “simple but not banal”.

La Soprana Barbera d’Alba 2011
Yes it’s a modern style, but for what it is it is good.

Tre Marzo Langhe Rosso 2011
Very slightly volatile on the nose. Really intense and concentrated tannins, but nice finish, very young and a little unfocused.

Nebbiolo d’Alba Briccobertone 2010
Pretty intense concentrated fruits, a bit of oak but not dominating, finishes quite long.

Barolo 2010
Fairly soft generous sweet tannins, oaky but balanced and released well, long and soft yet fresh.

Monvigliero Barolo 2010
A lot more closed aromatically. Denser more intense tannins, really concentrated powerful with a fresh finish, juicy for a barolo this young.

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