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Frank Cipparone
Posts
Roman Empire’s pervasive influence on modern wine culture
The legacy of the Roman Empire is still evident in law, government, language, engineering, and the modern Western alphabet and calendar. Not as obvious is...
A who’s who of Italian winemakers, region by region – part 2
Continuing our viaggio di vino, we wind our way up and down the peninsula and hop over to the islands. Molise – In the remote...
A who’s who of Italian winemakers, region by region – part 1
The husband-and-wife team of Flavio Basilicata and Silvana Forte turn out about 18,000 bottles a year from their 10 acres in Prepotto near the Slovenian...
The long history of Tuscan wines is all about famiglia
When it comes to the history and tradition of winemaking it would be hard to top Tuscany, whose well-earned reputation as Italy’s answer to Bordeaux...
Calabria reconsidered, with reason for guarded optimism
The last time I wrote about Calabria was 2016, four years after spending some time with winemakers that left me wondering what the future held....
Crisp whites? Bold reds? these bottles all have something going for them.
No stories this month about winemakers, Italy’s incredible number of grapes, specific regions, or types of wine. Just a bottle roundup, a selection of affordably...
Terroir: When making wine, it’s where everything begins
Terroir, or not terroir? That is the question. Is it much ado about nothing, an idea that exists only in the minds of connoisseurs? Or...
For jazz pioneers, S. Philly is where the journey began
If all the world’s a stage, South Philadelphia’s Italian community has provided it with an estimable list of players. Vocalists like Buddy Greco and Al...
Tuscany’s holy wine: It’s hard to put a price on greatness
Wine is an integral part of a Catholic mass, a physical representation of the blood of Christ present at the Last Supper. It’s not clear...