A little about the author.
Pete is a husband and father of two. I suppose that’s where this chapter of his wine adventures begin… Suspiciously for his wife, at 35 after the birth of his first child, after many sleepless nights , Pete had an epiphany to formally qualify all his informal wine experiences of the past two plus decades. His approach would be two fold, monthly “underground” private events held for a select group of people at venues like bars and wineries where he and others could learn about wine from “real” wine people. He would secondly also begin studying wine (in Portuguese) through the Association de la sommelier in Lisbon to become, like he is today an accredited sommelier. As with wine any good bottle of wine, this tory has more to it than that. As it turns out this was only the result of an epiphany that was years in the making…
As a young boy in Veneto, at his grandparents house, Pete has fond memories of going to the local wineries in the colli Berici and filling up two 15L “damigiane” (one with white and one with red) every 2 weeks. In Veneto wine is just part of the fabric of society. You start tasting when you’re young at the table with your family. Pinot Grigio, Garganaga, Tai rosso, Cab, Merlot to mention a few of the grapes that were always on the table and that are grown in the region aren’t particularly distinguished for their quality but rather there balance, and harmony with the food… and of course price and quantity are a factor as well. Either way, around 12-14 you soon find yourself meeting up at local bars drinking spritz, (Prosecco, aperol or Campari) with your friends. Which eventually would turn to grappa. Understanding, climate, soil types, vilification, food harmonization, and of course consumption is inherent to the people of the region as it is to many regions around the world. It was this realization that we are all connected that sparked the interest to learn about wine more formally as he does today.
In his college years in the willamette valley, Pete would find himself at vineyards seeing first hand vineyards of the new world. The region was drastically different than that of his Colli Berici. “Terroir” is a word wine people love to throw around in the wine industry. When one absorbs first hand for prolonged periods of time, soil, climate, vinification, the way people interact with wine, the nuances in the wine and they are able to confront two things they know well, then one can begin to have a grasp of the concept.
Since 2014 Pete has called Portugal home. Today he resides in Ericeira on the fringe of the old Estremadura wine region which today is considered Lisbon (D.O.). Pete and his wife (and now kids) pass their time attempting to find those nooks and crannies that no one talks about in the guide books. They almost crave uncovering traditional foods, unique wines and remarkable locations to stay. And in a nutshell this is Pete’s story and who he is. A person who is driven to understand culture through wine and cuisine, who goes deep to understand subtleties and finds treasure in the small things that others may not consider as such. These writings are the manifestation of years of experience and simply next step in the story.