Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of Italy’s great wines, and the Tuscan winery Avignonesi is perhaps its greatest estate. Americans tend to confuse it with Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, but anyone drinking it for the first time will be charmed by its balance, elegance and value—it sells for roughly half the price of its more famous neighbor, Brunello di Montalcino. Mark speaks with Virginie Saverys, the Belgian-born attorney who purchased Avignonesi in 2009 and embarked on the task of making an excellent wine even better. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark discusses the new legislation to allow direct wine shipments to Massachusetts, investigates the fact that beer is once again the most popular alcoholic beverage in America, and explores a Japanese spa where visitors can take a bath in red wine.

LINKS:

Avignonesi—Link to: http://www.avingonesi.it

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:
http://www.iconicspirits.net

Moonshine Nation—Link to:
http://www.amazon.com/Moonshine-Nation-Creating-Cornbread-Bottle/dp/0762797029/ref=sr_1_2_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406545749&sr=1-2&keywords=iconic+spirits