Women in Wine Talks

12/24/2025

My thinking is that “Holiday Wine Picks” should cover the whole vibe -  not just one moment.

Zenato’s Holiday Gift Pack certainly gets that assignment! 🍾🍷
One bottle for the first toast, one for the final course:

✨ Lugana Brut Classico — crisp, mineral, lakeside elegance. Perfect aperitivo energy.

🔥 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019 — rich, layered, slow-sipping depth that owns the table.

This pairing spans the entire holiday arc, from bubbles at the door to a contemplative glass by the fire. It’s practical, elevated, and deeply rooted in Veneto terroir — Lake Garda freshness meets Valpolicella power.

Family-owned since 1960, Zenato balances tradition with modern precision, and their dual terroirs make this duo feel intentional, not accidental. Old soul wines, new-school relevance.

🍽️ Think seafood, shellfish, and sushi with the Lugana Brut.

🥩 Think roasted meats, rich pastas, aged cheeses — or a quiet moment — with the Amarone.

📖 The full article, including tasting notes, wine tourism insights, and pairings, can be found at www.liz-palmer.com

SparklingLugana ItalianWineCulture HolidayWineCheers WineTourism WineTourismItaly HolidayWine LizPalmer LizPalmerWine Wine WineLovers

12/20/2025

✨ Champagne Laurent-Perrier: Two Iconic Expressions for the Holidays

Laurent-Perrier occupies a rare space in Champagne-intellectually rigorous, technically innovative, and effortlessly pleasurable. This holiday season, two cuvées stand out to be for entirely different, yet complementary, reasons: Grand Siècle No. 26 and Cuvée Rosé. One is built on time, precision, and layered complexity. The other delivers immediacy, purity of fruit, and unmistakable joy. Together, they define modern festive luxury.

🥂 Grand Siècle No. 26�A prestige multi-vintage Champagne crafted from three exceptional years and sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards. Predominantly Chardonnay, it reveals refined layers of brioche, toasted nuts, citrus peel, honeyed warmth, and a precise mineral finish. Controlled, confident, and quietly powerful.
97 Points / Liz Palmer

🌸 Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Brut Rosé�Produced from 100% Pinot Noir using the saignée method, this rosé is vibrant, precise, and expressive. Aromas of raspberry, wild strawberry, and red currant lead to a silky, fresh palate with elegant creaminess and balance. Festive, versatile, and endlessly charming.�94 Points / Liz Palmer

🏰 Wine Tourism Note�Based in Tours-sur-Marne, Laurent-Perrier’s historic Château de Louvois reinforces the house’s commitment to heritage, discretion, and refined Champagne tourism-luxury rooted in culture, not spectacle.

✨ Why Laurent-Perrier Still Matters�Few houses balance tradition and innovation with such clarity and confidence. In 2025, Laurent-Perrier remains both relevant and quietly influential.

👉 Read the full article at www.liz-palmer.com

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12/18/2025

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Holiday indulgence, elevated! 🥃✨

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is one of those rare spirits that lives comfortably at the intersection of heritage, craftsmanship, and pure pleasure. Crafted from just 1 in 10,000 casks, including whiskies from “ghost” distilleries - this Scotch has been designed for contemplation, not haste.

For the holidays, I explored Blue Label and paired it with Lindt chocolate, the results were quietly spectacular - an especially indulgent pairing for festive evenings by the fire.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label remains one of my favourite whiskies for the season - it occupies a rare intersection of scholarship and celebration. It is a whisky that rewards analytical tasting while remaining deeply accessible as a symbol of holiday generosity and shared ritual.
👉 full article, tasting notes, and insights at www.liz-palmer.com

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12/18/2025

12/17/2025

A Classic Hostess Gift for the Holidays: Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Gift Pack with Two Flutes

Amid the endless swirl of holiday gifting, a few offerings strike the elusive balance between polish and pleasure quite like the Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Gift Pack, complete with two refined Champagne flutes. It is an effortlessly gracious hostess gift - considered, celebratory, and refreshingly unpretentious.

Tasting Notes

At its core is Nicolas Feuillatte’s Réserve Exclusive Brut, a finely tuned blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. The Champagne delivers both approachability and depth, revealing layers of orchard fruit, subtle brioche, and a lifted mineral finish. It shows good structure and is elegant and expressive….www.liz-palmer.com

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

Champagne Telmont: Where Heritage Meets the Future of Sustainable Champagne + Wine Review

 Champagne is a region built on centuries of tradition, but every so often, a house emerges that doesn’t just update the rule book; it edits the whole document. Telmont, the organically driven, sustainability-obsessed house from Damery, is one of the most compelling modern narratives in Champagne today. With a history that stretches back more than a century and a present that leans confidently into ecological transformation, Telmont stands at the crossroads of heritage and next‑generation innovation.

A Champagne House Born in 1912 and Reborn in the 21st Century

Telmont was founded in 1912, when winegrower Henri Lhôpital established a small estate rooted in traditional Champagne viticulture. For much of the 20th century, the family-built maison remained a local, agriculture‑focused producer, known for meticulous vineyard work and precise blending.

The plot twist arrived in 2020, when Telmont received significant support from partners aligned with its environmental mission, including an investment from actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio in 2022. Rather than pivot toward celebrity gloss, Telmont doubled down on its ecological commitments. By 2025, the house had emerged as one of Champagne’s most resolute voices in sustainability, championing:

Organic certification for 100% of its vines (a multi‑year transition nearing completion)
Zero unnecessary packaging
Full transparency in labelling
Renewable energy integration
A “leave no trace” approach across production and the supply chain....continues at www.liz-palmer.com

                 

12/12/2025

The 34th edition of Benvenuto Brunello: Italy's premier wine preview showcases a vintage of elegance and restraint

Montalcino opened its historic cellars and welcomed the world once again for the 34th edition of Benvenuto Brunello, held November 20–24 at the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino. As Italy's longest-running wine preview event, this year's gathering brought the international wine community together to taste the highly anticipated Brunello di Montalcino 2021, alongside Brunello Riserva 2020 and Rosso di Montalcino 2024. With 122 wineries presenting their wines and approximately 100 journalists and industry professionals in attendance, the event underscored Brunello's enduring status as one of Italy's most prestigious wine denominations. The international presence was particularly notable, with nearly half of the attending journalists coming from abroad, reflecting Brunello's truly global appeal.

The event maintained its successful dual format pioneered in previous years. The first three days (November 20–22) were reserved for trade and media, featuring technical tastings. The final two days opened to Italian and international wine lovers, restaurant professionals, wine merchants, and sommeliers for walk-around sessions where they could meet producers directly.

Brunello's continued market strength…. Continues at www.liz-palmer.com

12/12/2025

The 34th edition of Benvenuto Brunello: Italy’s premier wine preview showcases a vintage of elegance and restraint

Montalcino opened its historic cellars and welcomed the world once again for the 34th edition of Benvenuto Brunello, held November 20–24 at the Chiostro di Sant’Agostino. As Italy’s longest-running wine preview event, this year’s gathering brought the international wine community together to taste the highly anticipated Brunello di Montalcino 2021, alongside Brunello Riserva 2020 and Rosso di Montalcino 2024. With 122 wineries presenting their wines and approximately 100 journalists and industry professionals in attendance, the event underscored Brunello’s enduring status as one of Italy’s most prestigious wine denominations. The international presence was particularly notable, with nearly half of the attending journalists coming from abroad, reflecting Brunello’s truly global appeal.

The event maintained its successful dual format pioneered in previous years. The first three days (November 20–22) were reserved for trade and media, featuring technical tastings. The final two days opened to Italian and international wine lovers, restaurant professionals, wine merchants, and sommeliers for walk-around sessions where they could meet producers directly.

Brunello’s continued market strength…. Continues at www.liz-palmer.com