On CTV news this past Friday, Leanne and I chatted about the lovely, floral white wine from Greece, Moschofilero Moschofilero is pronounced mos-coh-FEE-ler-oh. It’s underappreciated with its easygoing elegance, food versatility and great value. It’s planted mostly in the high, misty mountains of Mantinia Greece near Tripoli. This ancient grape is native to Greece, and often vines are planted more than 2,000 feet above sea level, where the weather changes quickly and there are large dirunal temperature changes from day to night. This is a late-ripening, fickle grape but one worth looking for. […]
Moschofilero
The 31 Most Difficult Wine and Grapes Names: How to Pronounce Them
On CTV News, Leanne and I chat about the most difficult wine and grape names to pronounce. Click the arrows to watch the videos both above and below. As anglophones, we find many of these names difficult since their origins are often European, with accents and inflections that are new to us. Tip: often e and i are pronounced in the reverse when in the middle of a word, and an e at the end of a name often sounds like a long a. Why bother? We often overlook these terrific wines, and don’t ask for them in liquor stores […]
The Ancient Greeks Invented Invented Map Making — to Help You Find Their Wines
The ancient Greeks invented map making. They had to help people find their wines. As the third-most mountainous country in Europe, Greece’s distinct topography enables the cultivation of cool weather grapes in a warm weather climate, an unexpected attribute of Greek wines and their diverse terrior. But it can also make them hard to find. Hence, the need for maps. One of Greece’s greatest white wines comes from the Moschofilero (MOHS-koh-FEE-leh-roh) grape. If you’ve been looking for a dry Riesling but always find them too sweet, Moschofilero is for you. It has an aromatic, floral bouquet so its dryness will […]
The Ancient Greeks Invented Money — Thanks to Wine
The ancient Greeks invented money. Bring back the old days when wine was free. We don’t know who the individual was who first conceived of money, but we suspect it may have been a prescient winemaker who understood he could become rich and happy at the same time. It figures then, that if you go to some of the finest (and priciest) restaurants in the country, you’ll find wines made from the Assyrtiko (ahs-SEER-tee-koh) grape on their wine list. (British wine writer, Jancis Robinson, named Assyrtiko as the wine she would have if she could only have one.) Sign up […]
The Ancient Greeks Invented the Concept of Pairing Wine and Food Together
Last week in Toronto, I attended a terrific tasting of Greek wines, with more than 40 Greek wineries pouring more than 120 wines at the Royal Ontario Museum (thus the dino). According to the Greek embassy of economic and trade affairs, Greek wine exports to Canada are up 66% since 2010 and are also up 7.5 percent so far in 2017. Last night, we were joined by a special guest, Christina Boutari, North America Brand Ambassador of her family’s wines, to chat about them as well as the surprising changes in Greek wines. Join us on the Sunday […]
The Ancient Greeks Created the Idea of Pairing Wine and Culture
How lucky that wine and culture pair so well together Let us introduce you to wines made from the Xinomavro (ksee-NOH-mah-vroh) grape. These are wine lovers wines, for those who want to debate the great statues of ancient Grecian temples, or perhaps the writings of philosophers like Homer. Yes, it was Homer who famously said, “Sorry Marge. Some wise guy stuck a cork in the bottle.” (Same Homer, right?) Regarded by many as Greece’s best red wine, Xinomavro has many similarities to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo producing a wine that has a nice amount of acidity. If you love wines from Burgundy […]
