The Revival of Carignan
27 January, 2020
Katie Jones' Carignan vineyard The Languedoc has always had something of a love hate relationship with Carignan. For some it is ‘the emblematic grape variety of the south’, but for others it was Carignan, along with Alicante Bouschet and Aramon, …
Wines of Santorini – Moving into Luxury Territory?
23 January, 2020
Reputed to have some of the oldest grapevines on earth, with roots dating to over 400 years old, the island of Santorini in Greece is experiencing some changes that could propel its age worthy Assyrtiko wines into luxury price territory. …
Ben Howkins Takes a ‘Real’ Look at Sherry
23 January, 2020
The prefix ‘Royal’, or ‘Real’ in Spanish, assumes a certain status, especially when it refers to a sport, as in the ‘Real Madrid’ football team. The same can be said about those fortunate wine producers or wine merchants who can …
Grenache: Australia’s True Blue Superhero?
20 January, 2020
Giles Cooke MW in Blewitt Springs Grenache Vineyard Pretty much every New World wine-producing country I can think of has a hero grape. I don’t mean that South African Chenin Blanc goes about in a Batman mask or that Argentine …
The Lucky Country
14 January, 2020
An aerial shot of Woodside in the Adelaide Hills is clearly showing the fire damage I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I …
Uruguay – Small is Beautiful
13 January, 2020
Pisano Brothers: Gustavo, Daniel, Eduardo Compared to the neighbours who surround it Uruguay is tiny, almost pocket-sized, with just over three million inhabitants, half of whom live in the capital city Montevideo. Yet it has the widest river – Rio …
Winemaking in La Palma
3 January, 2020
Viki Torres inspects Listán Blanco in Las Machuqueras When you’re on the island of La Palma, there will be at least one moment in every day when the scenery around you strikes you dumb. I felt this even after four …
The San Francisco International Wine Competition
30 December, 2019
Anthony Dias Blue, Jim Harre and Steven Spurrier at the SFIWC. Photo Credit: Gerald Weisl www.weimax.com The SFIWC is the world’s second oldest wine and spirits competition having been founded in 1980, beaten only by the International Wine & Spirits …
Wachau: Building a Drystone Wall in the Achleiten Vineyard
24 December, 2019
Wachau We look for stones that have a ‘face’. Only some of the grey rocks do and they will get pride of place in the drystone wall we are building. It is a cold but sunny day in early December, …
Yarra Valley – Phylloxera Has Given us a Chance
18 December, 2019
Yarra Vineyards. Photo Credit: Christine Austin Phylloxera. That word must strike fear into the hearts of all grape growers. The vineyard pest that caused devastation across Europe in the late 19th century surely causes panic in the few parts of …
Balance – A Constant Struggle
17 December, 2019
We imagine – romantically, but erroneously – that balance is a state of calm and tranquility. That while all around is hustle and bustle, balance reigns unperturbed, aloof from the clamour and din. Nothing is further than the tantalizing truth. …
Adegga – Their Innovative Wine Markets and More
13 December, 2019
Adegga Trio: André Ribeirinho, André Cid and Daniel Matos. Photo credit: Ricardo Bernardo The last Saturday in November 2019 saw the 10th anniversary event of the Adegga Wine Market that brings wine consumers and producers together in Lisbon. It’s a …