Category: Blog
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Bordeaux Claret is Alive in the World – by Cari Oleskewicz
All of us at the Taste of France blind tasting at VINEXPO Americas were in a mood anyway. This aggressive, mansplaining gentleman from who-knows-where had just correctly identified a white blend right down to the grape percentages, vintage, and region. And he was not humble about it. “And now I’m leaving,” the woman standing next…
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Vamos a Argentina!
Anyone who has known me for six minutes or more knows that I love Europe. The food, the wine, the people, the ease of train travel, the sunny piazzas, the astonishing art, the endless inspiration. Coffee. Cobblestone. Tiny islands in Greece and charming towns in Spain and the energy of capital cities: Paris. London. Lisbon.…
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There’s Something About Paris
I will take it as a compliment that everyone at the European Writers Salon in Paris assumed I had been to the city before. I keep showing up to the salons they host all over the continent. In 2025, I have been to events in Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, and Paris. I almost went to their…
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Here’s My Thanksgiving Wine List
(You Should Probably Pick Something Else) I’m sharing with you the wines I expect to serve with dinner on Thanksgiving. But this is not your list. It shouldn’t be your list. Wines are personal. What you choose will depend on what you’re most excited about. Is your menu revolving around the giant roasted bird? Are…
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In Praise of Airport Hotels
I do love an airport hotel. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never had a bad experience in one. Airport hotels are a respite. They are a welcoming luxury on busy travel days. An airport hotel is the promise of a thick mattress. A heavy, closed door. A bathroom that may be cleaner than our…
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A Splash of Single-Grower Champagne
What comes to mind when someone says “Champagne?” Maybe you think about a toast. Weddings. Celebrations. You might think of bottles that cost hundreds of dollars, the shimmery foil around the neck and the familiar pop of a swollen cork finally breaking free of the pressurized bottle. Champagne is fancy, but it doesn’t have to…
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Orange is the New…
Orange wine is not my jam. But it might be yours. Almost all of the wine tastings I’ve attended recently have included at least one orange wine. The most recent event had three orange wines, one of them sparkling. Orange wine is trendy. Why? Probably because it’s refreshing and quite drinkable. And fun. I mean…
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What I Loved in Miami
At the Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia event in Miami, I tasted a lot of the usual suspects. Plenty of Prosecco, bubbly and fun. Especially notable was the BiancaVigna Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut. It was fresh and tart and a brilliant way of introducing my palate to the wines that would come. Those wines included the…
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Upcoming…Wine in Miami
At the end of April, I’ll be attending the Gambero Rosso International Vini d’Italia tour and I’m trying to be cool about it but holy vines, I’ll be talking to some of my favorite Italian winemakers and tasting what they’re excited to share. It’s a good excuse to spend a couple of days in sunny…