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Jan 16, 2025 | 
newwinereview.com | Jason Wilson |Susannah Skiver Barton |Alissa Bica |Clara Dalzell
When it comes to famed natural wine regions, most people will rattle off places like the Loire Valley or Beaujolais in France, Burgenland in Austria, Australia’s Adelaide Hills, or perhaps Catalonia in Spain. For whatever reason, Italy comes up much less in natural wine chatter. Part of that is because Italians were somewhat slower to embrace the natural wine movement—well behind the French, in particular. That is not to say that Italy doesn’t have famous natural wine superstars.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
newwinereview.com | Alissa Bica |Susannah Skiver Barton |Clara Dalzell
Winemakers who make unexpected choices have always intrigued me, so it’s great to see a smattering of wines made from Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese varieties emerging across California. These wines, produced in very small quantities at micro-wineries, aren’t handled with loads of oak or overly-ripe fruit; they have distinct personalities with lively energy and lower alcohol.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
tastingpanelmag.com | Alissa Bica
by Alissa BicaAs a sommelier, one of the categories I’m most skeptical about is nonalcoholic (NA) wine. While new brands are popping up every week, do fine NA wines really exist? With the advancement of technologies such as vacuum distillation, which gently separates and removes alcohol at low temperatures, and spinning cones, which extract aromas from wine that can be added back after the alcohol is removed, the answer is yes.
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Oct 29, 2024 | 
msn.com | Alissa Bica
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
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Oct 29, 2024 | 
thrillist.com | Alissa Bica
AtlantaTravelFood And DrinkGeorgia may be the Peach State, but in Dahlonega, grapes rule. When planning a wine country getaway, the state of Georgia may not be top-of-mind. Yet, just over an hour northeast of Atlanta, the Dahlonega Plateau—one of only two recognized American Viticulture Areas in the state—offers expansive chateaus, luxury vineyard cabins, and solid vino. Here, vines are scattered across lush rolling hills surrounded by the majestic North Georgia Mountains.
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Jul 25, 2024 | 
tastingpanelmag.com | Alissa Bica
There may never be a drink more synonymous with summer than the Aperol Spritz. Bright, citrusy, and refreshing, it appeals to a wide swath of the population, in part because Aperol is a sweeter orange-flavored bitter than popular Italian counterparts like Campari and, at only 11% ABV to Campari’s 24%, is a light and easy option for a leisurely afternoon. The original Spritz was composed of white wine and soda water and appeared as early as the 1840s.
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Jun 6, 2024 | 
tastingpanelmag.com | Alissa Bica
The Caribbean island of Barbados proudly claims to be the birthplace of rum. The deed backing this claim, dated 1703, hangs in the Mount Gay visitor center in the northern parish of St. Lucy: Written in precise cursive, it depicts a map of the country, noting that the rum-making property atop Mount Gilboa was owned (rather ironically) by a man named John Sober. Sober hired fourth-generation Bajan Sir John Gay Alleyne to run the distillery and eventually renamed it in his honor.
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Apr 16, 2024 | 
wineandspiritsmagazine.com | Alissa Bica
Shirley Brassiere: Tale of Two Cities - Wine & Spirits Magazine Here’s a selection of some of the top wine festivals and conferences happening around the world this month. If you’re interested in having your event included here, please email .
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Apr 13, 2024 | 
wineandspiritsmagazine.com | Alissa Bica
New York: Ketchy Shuby - Wine & Spirits Magazine The upstairs dining room at Soho’s Ketchy Shuby (Photos courtesy of the restaurant)Ketchy Shuby, a restaurant and lounge in New York’s Soho neighborhood, opened in September 2023 by Jaimie Mulholland, who also owns Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York. Mulholland was born in South Africa and spent time growing up in St. Maarten; he pulled from both backgrounds while working on Ketchy Shuby’s eclectic menu with Chef Sean Olnowich.
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Apr 11, 2024 | 
wineandspiritsmagazine.com | Alissa Bica
Vino Voyages: A Cinematic Wine Adventure - Wine & Spirits Magazine Here’s a selection of some of the top wine festivals and conferences happening around the world this month. If you’re interested in having your event included here, please email . Vino Voyages: A Cinematic Wine AdventureApril 27 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm $175 – $275The New York Junior League, one of New York City’s oldest volunteer organizations, is hosting an upcoming wine tasting fundraiser.
