Please The Palate Pick of the Week: The Diversity of Madeira Wine

Written by Allison Levine on October 20, 2018

Food Wine

I spent the past week drinking Madeira wines and I am still licking my lips. If you have not had Madeira, it is time to try it. It is not like any other wine you have ever had. And that is why it is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Madeira is a fortified wine, in which a neutral grape spirit is added. But, Madeira is also heated and oxidized, two things that we are always taught should never be done to wine. But, Madeira is the result of a centuries-old history. In the 1600s and 1700s, the wine was fortified in order to survive traveling on the sea. As the ships sailed through the tropics, the wine would be heated and cooled repeatedly, as well as exposed to oxygen. And that is how Madeira came to be. Read More +

Nero d’Avola, the Flagship Grape of Sicily

Written by Allison Levine on October 18, 2018

Wine

There are many wine regions in the world known for one or two flagship varieties. Burgundy is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Piemonte is Nebbiolo, Tuscany is Sangiovese, Napa is Cabernet Sauvignon and so on. In Sicily, the flagship grape is Nero d’Avola and I had the privilege to explore this grape through the wines from Planeta which I shared in a recent column in the Napa Valley Register and you can it read here.

In Italy, more than 80 percent of the grapes grown are native varieties. One of the most cultivated indigenous varieties is Nero d’Avola, the flagship red grape of Sicily. It makes up 60 percent of Sicily’s agriculture. When speaking about Nero d’Avola from Sicily, it is like speaking about Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Sangiovese from Tuscany and Montepulciano from Abruzzo.

One of the leading producers of Nero d’Avola is Planeta. The Planeta family in Sicily dates back five centuries and 17 generations. After a long history in agriculture, Grandfather Vito Planeta transformed their small family winery into a large cooperative winery in the 1900s.

The Gallery Food Hall in Santa Monica Comes to Life

Written by Allison Levine on October 16, 2018

Food

The Gallery Food Hall on the Third Street Promenade has been reborn. What was once a mediocre food court next to the famed Criterion Theater, the two-level space is a state-of-the-art marquee food hall. No longer is this a spot you want to pass by. The Gallery Food Hall in Santa Monica is now a worthwhile destination.

A clean, modern space, The Gallery Food Hall is elevating the dining scene on Third Street Promenade with a selection of unique, fast-casual restaurants and a mix of indoor and outdoor dining space.