They cling to the cliffs, high above the village.

East of Monterosso al Mare.

Steep, but worth the climb.

Colli di Luni Vermentino Santa Caterina Poggi Alti DOC 2007.

Wow, that’s a long one! Honey, citrus, and golden raisin twisted with
lime and ripe pear. Serious, sharp acidity.

The welcome wine to our new home in Riomaggiore.

Man cannot live on vino alone. The day begins.

€.90 in Piazza Garibaldi

Casa Manuel’s offerings. Repeated inquiries as to the grape variety
have been met only with “amabile” – sweet.

From the Colline di Levanto DOC comes this Bianco. Another Ligurian wine made from Arborola and Bosco. This time: Medium bodied and light golden, with scents of melon and grassy spice. Concentrated peach jam with citrus flavors. Smooth.

A fine example of Cinque Terre DOC wine. This Ligurian wine is straw in color offering lemon, peach and almond on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate with citrus and tropical flavors of grapefruit, banana, and even fresh picked fig…

Made from Arborola, Bosco, and even some Vermentino. Local and excellent.

Rustic…

At Enoteca da Eliseo in Monterosso al Mare. Good friends and decent
Brunello. Deep and dark meets the charm of small town Italy. But, good
friends triumph all.

My front door view of the terraced vineyard hills overlooking the sea.
6:55PM Italy time. Let the journey begin…

Rkatsiteli 2006

From Dr. Konstantin Rkatsiteli, with origins on the slopes of Mt. Ararat.

A Finger Lakes Region white: Riesling meets Gewurztraminer – In bed with
Pouilly Fume.

Decent. Mineral. Citrus. Herbaceous. Spice. Lemon. Petrol.

Finishing dinner of tender pork Kimchi at Momofuku, with 15 minutes till Wine 2.0…

And by “she” I mean Chinon [shee-NOHN]. If you’re a fan of herbal, woodsy, earthy, highly nuanced character, this is your wine. To be clear: fruit bomb lovers just looking to “kick the tires” need not apply.

Heading west from our last wine in Quincy, we roll into the Touraine region of France, home to the AOC of Chinon. On the south bank of the Loire river you’ll find the star grape of Chinon, Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon’s Daddy, Cab. Franc is lower in tannin, acid, and color than its bold son, but serves up some serious aromas on a level where Cab. Sauvignon simply cannot hang.

Saturday, I popped the Vignoble Grosbois Chinon 2005 – $18. Crimson-ruby in the glass, I was in awe at the unmistakable aromas of carbon, tar, and charred wood. Seriously, it was like pouring water on a campfire… Backing down and letting it rest in the glass payed off. In time, notes of toasted bread, black fruit, vegetal hints and forest floor were complicated by a thick layer of leaves. This is Autumn in a glass.

The palate? Medium-bodied. Immediately, my mouth was blanketed by smoky charcoal (think charred steak). Fleeting medicinal flavors immediately shifted into spicy blackberry, mint and peppery vegetal, almost arugula-like qualities.

Begging for food, I indulged in a seared ribeye with mushroom risotto that swiftly validated this wine’s existence.

Be assured, I admire Chinon. Living in the shadow of Bordeaux and Burgundy, it is truly an unsung hero in the world of French wine though, I’m nearly certain 90% of you wouldn’t agree. If you want to grow your palate and gain some real perspective, reach for a Chinon. But, as I said – She’s not for everyone.

Domaine Mardon Quincy Tres Vieilles Vignes 2007 - $18

In the late 1880′s Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, proposed a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” Simply put, a day to honor the American worker.

Patriotic yet, French wine-lover at heart, it’s an honor to celebrate the day with this fine Quincy [keen-SAY]. Situated 50 miles west of Sancerre, in France’s Loire [LWAHR] Valley is the lesser known AOC of Quincy. From the Loire comes some of the best, understated champion wines including Chinon, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.

If you love a crisp, tart Sauvignon Blanc, you MUST try Quincy. Domaine Mardon produces some of the most serious, complicated Quincy and their Tres Vieilles Vignes (Very Old Vines) average 80 years of age giving unparalleled intensity and complexity.

Blanket down, shoes off, blue skys… The light straw hues invite you in.

True to Sauvignon Blanc, this baby is very aromatic boasting typical grassy notes combined with citrus, apple, honeydew and a nice underpinning of minerality from the region’s limestone-marl soils.

Medium bodied with refreshing lemon and grapefruit flavors and an amplified, bright acidity for balance. The curiosity factor peaks when you notice the notes of coriander and wheat (as in wheat beer).

Bottle empty, shoes on, the sky dims… Alas, the laboring must resume.

Carabella Pinot Noir 2003

Farmed sustainably in the Chehalem Mountains AVA of Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley, Winemaker Mike Hallock goes to great lengths to produce wines that showcase the purity of his fruit while maintaining an elegance of style.

I find it impressive that five clonal blocks, from 27 acres of land are each harvested at peak timing and fermented separately. The true art is in the blending that occurs prior to bottling, producing a deeply layered New World wine with Old World nuance and grace.

In the glass, this Pinot gave hints of it’s half-decade of age as the crimson, garnet color cleared slightly at the rim. Not your average Pinot, giving both perfumed fruit and savory, exotic, Old World aromas.

The nose is packed with flowers, chocolate dipped red fruits, fresh baked cherry pie and faint notes of earthy, tobacco spice.

A true Pinot on the palate, this wine is pure velvet. Medium-bodied, with flavors of creamy strawberry, ripe raspberry, and the distinguishing hint of mushroom. A steady, balanced acidity provides stamina and ends with gentle-handed tannins.

A wine of many faces. Untraditionally refined.

Robert Foley Vineyards – Charbono 2004

Oh dear God… I believe I’m in love.

I’ve heard the lore about Bob Foley’s wine but, have not until now experienced the pleasure. Tonight, a 375ml bottle of Charbono was on the block.

First upon opening, the cork made an impression; a darker brown with a high-gloss finish and nearly 50% longer than most driven corks, even on 750ml bottles. The amount of sediment this wine has thrown in its 4+ years is amazing. Indeed, an unfiltered and dense masterpiece.

As I poured, the deep, opaque, inky color shimmered. Nearly black with purple tinged edges, this wine allows no light to pierce its robust body.

Jamming my nose into the glass I immediately get layers of dark chocolate, dried plums and licorice mixed with hints of coffee, cedar, leather, vanilla and spice notes.

Full and elegantly smooth, this wine dances… Make no mistake, this is a new world wine with a powerful profile however, the genius is in how the zesty acidity sneaks in to offer judicious balance.

Fine-grained tannins give the appropriate amount of grip while the wine glides across the palate. This little monster offers complex black fruit flavors echoing the nose and opening deeper with touches of blackberry liquor and mocha on a prolonged, 3 minute plus finish.

Excellence. Simply put.

Nearly three years ago, I started listening to a new podcast-radioshow via iTunes called The Restaurant Guys. This informative and entertaining show scored an immediate hit with me. True to their mantra “Covering Food, Wine and The Finer Things in Life”, Francis Schott and Mark Pascal serve up in-depth conversation on all things Foodie and Wine-related while mixing in interviews with celebrity chefs, winemakers, journalists, activists, musical artists and well, many of the world’s finer personalities. I’ve been a Restaurant Guys Radio listener for quite some time now having started listening in 2005 back when I lived in Indiana and worked at a marketing firm. This show educated, inspired, and indeed helped start my path toward following my passion – wine. I’d like to share my excitement of finally getting to visit both of their restaurants, Catherine Lombardi and Stage Left. Each is located in New Bruswick and among New Jersey’s most highly rated and respected restaurants. Focusing solely on offering quality food from locally sustainable, enviromentally friendly and healthy practices, these restaurants are not only high-class but also highly ethical and locally responsible. I intend on enjoying food, wine and the finer things in life this weekend, in New Bruswick, NJ. More to come…

An amazing evening not to be forgotten in New York City. 1800+ wine lovers descended upon the Marriott Marquise Hotel in Manhattan this evening to enjoy an event featuring over 200 of the finest wines in the world; each rated 90pts+.

I had the privelage of pouring wine at this event. Truly, the “Christmas morning” of wine tastings. Should you have the chance to attend, I highly recommend you do. You won’t be disappointed.