Wine Missives

Reading, writing, and drinking wine... mostly rambling about drinking wine.

By Alexander Stoffel

· Launched a year ago

Is 'Time' the Missing Ingredient for A Great Wine?

I ponder the mysteries of life over a bottle of Nebbiolo and a few slices of pizza.
Jun 15•Alexander Stoffel

Sailing Past Monsters, Fortified by Carignan

I take a personal odyssey with a bottle of the Birichino Scylla.
Jun 8•Alexander Stoffel

Dolcetto: The Hidden Gem of Piedmont

I kiss the hand to an often overlooked black grape variety of northern Italy.
Jun 1•Alexander Stoffel

A Love Letter to Maine (& Nebbiolo)

The Maine food and wine industry is noteworthy, and it extends far beyond Portland.
May 25•Alexander Stoffel

Tradition In Wine... And Life!

I drink an Albariño from Do Ferreiro, acknowledge the Rías Baixas region in all of its glory, and ultimately plan out the intricacies of my life.
May 13•Alexander Stoffel

Why Mushroom Pizza & Sangiovese Just Make Sense Together

I reminisce on my latest trip to Italy as I fall back into one of my favorite summer routines in Maine.
May 11•Alexander Stoffel

Plantamura: Primitivo Done Right

You want to discuss world-class southern Italian wines? Let's start in Apulia with the Plantamura family.
Apr 22•Alexander Stoffel

I'm Betting on Vesuvius

Move over Etna. There's a new volcano in town, and it is producing some world-class wines.
Apr 20•Alexander Stoffel

The 'Reale' Side of Wine in Campania

A trip to the Reale winery in Tramonti leads to contemplations about the pergola system, phylloxera, and 200-year-old vines.
Apr 17•Alexander Stoffel

We're Talking Roots

I drink a 2018 Alsatian Riesling as I make my first German Rouladen.
Apr 6•Alexander Stoffel

Becoming Friends with a Volcano, One Glass at a Time

I reflect on Etna and a night of interesting wines as I dig a rabbit-hole to outfit the cellar with Sicilian reds.
Apr 2•Alexander Stoffel

A Lone Grape Takes the Lead: The Monovarietal Movement Hits Tuscany

How Montenidoli's Colorino can lead the charge for a category of Tuscan wines.
Mar 30•Alexander Stoffel