Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels

The Jumilla DO has turned potential disaster into triumph. In 1989 – long after most Spanish wine growers had encountered phylloxera, lost nearly everything, and replanted – the insect finally arrived in Jumilla, with predictable results. As phylloxera spread, grapevines succumbed, and Jumilla's growers had to make some hard choices.

In the northwest corner of Italy is the Aosta Valley. The region, known in Italy as Valle d’Aosta, borders France to the west, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piemonte to the south and east. This Aosta Valley is a part of the Alps mountain range. The Valley first was inhabited by the Celts around 900 B.C. The Romans moved thru around 25 B.C naming the land after Augusta. Today, Valle D’Aosta is better known as a tourist destination for hikers and skiers.

Last month I wrote about the “Super Marches” wines from Le Marche. I realize that I have yet to discuss the granddaddy of all the “Super” wines; Super Tuscans. Tuscany has a long history of making great indigenous wines. See previous articles on Chianti , Brunello and Vin Santo . It is also home to some of the best internationally styled wines which are known collectively as Super Tuscans. So just what is a Super Tuscan? There really are no hard and fast rules. First and foremost, the term generally refers to red wines from Tuscany that do not conform to any DOC(G) regulations. They are released as IGT wines or even Vino de Tavola (VdT) or table wine. Beyond that, it is a term more of marketing than art or science.

In spite of its small size, Sachsen has many pleasant surprises in store for those who enjoy German wine. Sachsen is, indeed, the smallest and most eastern wine region in Germany. It’s also – by a hair – Germany’s northernmost wine region. Most visitors to the area come to see the city of Dresden, restored to splendor and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or to shop for porcelain in nearby Meißen. Since most Sachsen wines are consumed locally, a visit to the Dresden – Meißen area may be the only way you can experience the region’s wines for yourself.

Tomato cream sauce based dishes are always a challenge for sommeliers. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend a wine to pair with tomato cream sauce dishes: "Tomato cream sauces are notoriously unfriendly to wine pairings. However, in such circumstances, I look at the elements. Cream is soft. Tomato is acidic. My choice would be a good Gewurztraminer from Alsace, or even New Zealand . The Gewurz, with its lychee flavors tend not to compete but add very interesting nuances when paired with tomato cream sauce . From Alsace, try Hugel or Riefle. From New Zealand, try Spy Valley . On the other hand, when in doubt about a food and wine pairing , I often look towards the Buy Chateau Musar Ch. Musar from Lebanon, in the case of a tomato cream sauce, the white to be specific. Lebanon’s cuisine is so incredibly varied, only about 10% of it is found in Lebanese restaurants in America, and so their wines have to be made to be more versatile than other regions. If serving the white Chateau Musar, make sure that you buy the oldest vintage that you can find and serve it at room temperature. Be warned, you may be confused by this wines, they are unique and intriguing, not to everyone’s taste, unless you can hit that perfect food pairing ." - Bartholomew Broadbent , CEO, Broadbent Selections, San Francisco

It might seem surprising to know that New Jersey, the self proclaimed Garden State, is actually fairly prolific in producing wine. Whereas the majority of wines coming from New Jersey are sweet, native grapes like catawba, vidal blanc and concord, a few wineries are upping the ante for the lucrative wine game on the East Coast. Alba Vineyards are currently on an aggressive growth streak with a wide portfolio of wines that are winning medals at diverse competitions like the Finger Lakes Wine Competition the, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition and the Los Angeles Wine Competition. Find Alba Vineyard Wines

Le Marche (pronounced lay Mar-kay) is a region in central Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Apennines to the west. Le Marche borders Emilia-Romagna to the north, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west, and Abruzzi to the south. The terrain is mostly hills and mountains once you get away from the coast. The area has a long history matching most of the historic conquests of Italy: it was occupied by the Gaul’s, colonized by the Romans, later it was invaded by the Goths and Lombard’s, then by Charlemagne. It was then mostly a papal state before finally being annexed in the mid-1800’s by the kingdom of Italy.