MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star MonteRosola is a contemporary winery in the hills close to the hilltop town of Volterra in Tuscany. Volterra may be less familiar to some, so let’s start there to understand how MonteRosola and its wines fit into this delightful Tuscan landscape. Volterra claims the title, “the oldest town in Tuscany.” Indeed, it’s been continuously occupied it …
Lockdown Linguine – A Recipe for Social Distancing
Lockdown Linguine – A Recipe for Social Distancing Lockdown Linguine is a delicious, simple pasta recipe, which also happens to be brilliant with a bottle of white wine, and it only takes 10-15 minutes to make. It’s Italian-style, though I don’t know if there’s an Italian name for it. Here it’s called Lockdown Linguine, as much for the alliteration as anything. …
And I've got one, two, three, four, five, senses working overtime. Trying to take this all in - I've got one, two, three, four, five, senses working overtime. Trying to taste the difference 'tween a lemon and lime, pain and pleasure, and the church bells softly chime.
XTC, Senses Working Overtime, 1982Pedro Ximénez: Discover the Joy of PX
Pedro Ximénez: Discover the Joy of PX Pedro Ximénez (PX) is both a Spanish white grape variety and a particular style of super-sweet dessert wine. PX (the grape) is grown in many Spanish regions and occasionally elsewhere. However, the most outstanding examples of PX (the wine) are arguably from the inland Andalusian wine region of Montilla-Moriles DO. It’s some 45 …
Jerry Cornelius, The Nature of the Catastrophe, Part 2
Jerry Cornelius, The Nature of the Catastrophe, Part 2 Part 2 continues the story of Jerry Cornelius’ wine tasting at Kensington Roof Gardens. Please read Part 1 first if you haven’t already done so. Otherwise, what follows will make even less sense. ————————————– Jerry slowly poured the first wine, Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, 1900. He read out the label without pausing …
The Nature of the Catastrophe, Part 1
The Nature of the Catastrophe, Part 1 The Nature of the Catastrophe is a short story featuring Jerry Cornelius. Jerry is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock, editor and prolific author of both literary and speculative fiction. The character is an adventurer, time-shifter, and incarnation of the Eternal Champion, chosen to balance order and chaos in the Multiverse. Jerry is …
Caol Ila. Try a Dram on World Whisky Day
Caol Ila. Try a Dram on World Whisky Day Pronounce Caol Ila as Cull-eela, Gaelic for the “Sound of Islay”. It’s the name of a distillery on the northeast coast of the Scottish island of Islay. Islay or eela, as the late Iain Banks once wrote, “does not rhyme with outlay”. Islay has the distinction of being one of the five …
Goldilocks. Or, drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Goldilocks. Or, drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Any opportunity to try the wines made by the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) in Burgundy is the chance of a lifetime. Not only is this celebrated patch of dirt in the village of Vosne-Romanée regarded as producing the most outstanding red Burgundy, many consider it to be the source of the world’s …
Daddy walks the lawn; the grass is getting long. The trees are looking crooked, and the bushes seem wrong. He never noticed 'til now how untidy it seems. He frowns, thinking how it looked in dreams.
© The Very Things, "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes." 1984Tuscan Salad: Insalata di Fegatini di Pollo
Tuscan Salad: Insalata di Fegatini di Pollo Here’s a simple Tuscan salad recipe that’s cheap, quick and easy. I first tried it in a restaurant in San Gimignano while attending their Anteprima, where the new Vernaccia wines are previewed and judged. However, it’s also available in many UK Italian restaurants. While the English translation is Warm Chicken Liver Salad, that simply …