Blog
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Arneis, the origin of the word (from a philologist’s perspective)
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in Wines
Above: Arneis grapes ripening earlier this summer on the Tenuta Carretta estate. As part of my ongoing research into Arneis and its history, I've been taking a close look at the etymology of the ampelonym — the origin of the grape name. Of course, one of the first works I turned to was Ian D'Agata's excellent Native Grapes of Italy (University of California Press, 2014). In his entry...
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Arneis origins: An early (and important) mention of Arneis before its revival
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in Wines
Today, Roero Arneis is one of Italy's most popular white wines and Arneis is one of its most popular white grape varieties. It's incredible to think that almost no one was devoting much attention to this variety or appellation until recent decades but that today, its popularity is so great that even California growers have planted and begun to vinify Arneis (with mixed success). Most Italian...
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Vineyard weddings: Tenuta Carretta has two of the best locations in Italian wine country
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in Hospitality
My wife Tracie of six years and I sat in the main dining room at the Locanda in Cannubi atop the famed Cannubi vineyard in Barolo a few weeks ago. It was mid-July, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and you could feel a cool, gentle breeze. It couldn't have been a more perfect summer day. The view from our table — from every table in the house — was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. And it...
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Arneis is looking good: Growth cycle progressing nicely in Roero
Just feast your eyes on those beauties! The shots above and below were taken in Tenuta Carretta's estate-owned Arneis vineyards just this week. The weather in Roero where our estate lies has been warm and dry over the last few weeks, not excessively hot and with a nearly consistent cool breeze — the ideal conditions for this period in the vegetative or growing cycle. The best news is...
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Best wine pairing for raw oysters? It might just be Arneis…
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in Hospitality, Wines
We know, we know! We've been on something of a wine-pairing kick for the last few weeks. But since our American blogger happens to be visiting Piedmont this week, we couldn't resist taking him to one of our favorite pizzeria/restaurants in Vezza d'Alba, Io Pizza (not far from the Tenuta Carretta estate). The host of the restaurant, a lovely Neapolitan gentleman, insisted that we start out...
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Best hot dog pairing? The answer could be Roero Arneis…
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in Hospitality, Wines
Above: A classic Chicago-style "char-dog" with "cheese sauce." The sauce is optional but the rest of the toppings are canonical. For as long as anyone can remember, our friends in America have been obsessed with hot dogs. Not one, not two, not three, but four generations in the U.S. have grown up eating hot dogs for summer holidays. Some would say that the tradition reach back even farther, in...
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PicNic Gourmet returns to Tenuta Carretta July 9
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in Hospitality
On Sunday, July 9, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tenuta Caretta will be host to PicNic Gourmet, a traveling food and wine festival that was conceived by Serena Tripaldi and Luca Defilippi. On the heels of the event's enormous success last year, the two have decided to bring this unique gathering back — to the delight of young and old alike. Of all the events to be held this year at Tenuta...
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Father’s Day wines: What better way to say “Happy Father’s Day” than Barolo?
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in Wines
Sunday, June 18 is Father's Day in America. And across the great expanse of the United States, children — young and old — will be giving their fathers Father's Day gifts. Ties, cufflinks, power tools, and tool kits… and maybe even a new grill to be christened on the day of the holiday. These are all classic Father's Day presents and there's no doubt that most of America friends will...
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Museums and other cultural destinations worth visiting in Barolo country
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in Hospitality
Above: An image from the Museum of Cork Screws (Museo dei Cavatappi) in Barolo. It also has a really impressive collection of tastesvins. Last week, I published a post where I offer my "Barolo Travel Tips." Among the other advice I offered was the following: There’s more to Italy than just food and wine. Don’t let your food and wine passion eclipse cultural site-seeing. Piedmont is full...
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Barolo travel tips: Heading to Piedmont this summer for food and wine tourism? Here are some useful tips.
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in Hospitality
Above: A view of the Castello di Barolo (left) on as you enter the village from the north arriving from Alba. The summer is almost here and a lot of you are planning your trip to Piedmont and, in particular, to the Langhe Hills, the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, where you will enjoy some of the greatest wine and food tourism in the world. Here are some basic tips (based mostly on questions...
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