Always Ravenous

According to “Wine Food,” by Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker, raclette is the new cheese party replacing the 80s fondue (I like them both). If you are not familiar with raclette, it is a type of cheese from Switzerland that is melted on a special grill or heck even a frying pan will work. Raclette becomes a party with friends, the extra side dishes, and of course, wine. My wine choice with raclette is always a crisp, dry, white wine like a Savoie. Savoie is a wine region in the eastern French Alps bordering Switzerland and Italy. Raclette and Savoie white wines are a traditional regional pairing.

This month the Wine Pairing Weekend group of bloggers is savoring the wines of Savoie with food pairings. Join our Twitter chat on Saturday, February 8th, at 11:00 AM ET (follow using hashtag #WinePW). Make sure to check out more great reading from the Wine Pairing Weekend group on Savoie wines and food pairings at the bottom of this post.…

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Agricultural cooperatives have long existed in Italy. However, it was in the 1950s, after the Second World War and the migration of farmers to the city for industrialized jobs, that cooperatives grew in numbers and strength. The modest vineyard holdings of the average Italian winegrower are just 1.8ha/4.45 acres, further contributing to the growth of cooperatives.  Today cooperatives account for about 60% of the wine produced in Italy. The big question is, what is the quality of the wine made by cooperatives? Let’s pop some corks on cooperative Prosecco from Val d’Oca and find out!

This month the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group are exploring and tasting Italian wines made from cooperatives. Join our Twitter chat on February 1st at 11:00 AM ET (follow using hashtag #ItalianFWT). Make sure to check out more great reading from the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel Group on Italian cooperative wines at the bottom of this post.…

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