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2024 Calistoga Food & Wine Festival, November 16, Calistoga

Not many opportunities exist for consumers to taste a whole bunch of Napa wines in a single sitting. Walk-around tastings are more common for the trade and for members of the media, but public tastings with 30+ wineries are still something of a rarity. Such tastings that also have excellent food are even less common. All of which is why …

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Best buys at Majestic

Majestic is the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, with more than 200 stores. Its latest press tasting showcased an eclectic range of 109 sparkling, still, sweet and fortified wines, with the aim of highlighting diverse styles, price points and grape varieties in the run-up to the festive period. Scroll down to see our picks at Majestic The own-label wines are …

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Château de Ferrand: Blazing wine trails in ink

Château de Ferrand The next time you use a Bic pen to write a heartfelt letter, Bordeaux should come to mind. The family that invented the bestselling ink pen in the world also owns a beautiful estate in St-Émilion that you can visit – and stay in. In 1977, Baron Marcel Bich – an Italian-born, French industrialist who co-founded the …

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Rootstock revolution: Enhancing pest resistance and grape quality

Vineyards in McLaren Vale. Dr Smith completing his PhD in genetics and gained research experience in cell, molecular and plant developmental biology in the US. In 2012, he moved to Adelaide to lead the Rootstock Breeding Team at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with a focus on developing climate resilient rootstocks with long term resistance to grape …

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DWWA Shopper’s Guide: Award-winning wines from Waitrose

Waitrose’s performance at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) highlights a number of wines worth seeking out, including one of the 50 Best in Show award-winning wines. This prestigious accolade was awarded to Chapel Down, Rosé, Kent, England NV, which was highlighted for its aromatic fruits and clean and emphatic palate. For an ideal apéritif, try the Gold medal …

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Victoria: An introduction to the state’s key varieties and styles

Vineyards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Photos supplied by Wine Victoria. What is the best way to explore modern Australian wine? Take a leisurely journey through the southeastern state of Victoria, home to many of the country’s finest wine treasures. Victoria unveils the true excitement of what’s happening right now in Australian wine: offering an impressive array of modern …

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Book Review: The Story of Prosecco Superiore

Ever since Mionetto imported Prosecco to the US at the turn of the century, wine journalists have been writing about this inexpensive, charming sparkling beverage. Indeed, there has been much to write about beginning with the spectacular rise worldwide in Prosecco sales. Then there was the radical change in legislation in 2009 that greatly enlarged the area within the Prosecco …

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Best Co-op wines to try

Pair your festive feasts with a Bordeaux blend from South Africa for £9.50 and Mâcon-Villages at £10.25. The Decanter team has selected its highlights from the UK supermarket chain Co-op, which boasts 2,500 local, convenience and medium-sized stores across the country. Ranging from the seasonal classics to offbeat explorations, the majority of our selection is under £15. From the latest …

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Cristaldi: Understanding the signature ‘Rutherford Dust’ and how to spot it

Soils of Rutherrod. Credit: Sullivan Rutherford Estate Russian-born enologist André Tchelistcheff – whose name still evokes a hushed reverence among California winemakers – famously once quipped that ‘it takes Rutherford Dust to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon.’ ‘Rutherford Dust’ is a term that’s now so inextricably intertwined with Napa Valley’s Rutherford sub-appellation that in 1994 – several decades after Tchelistcheff’s remark …

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Port vintage guide: 1960-2017

Old Porto wine cellar Want to find out how your birth-year fared? Or want to know which vintages are drinking well now? Our Port vintage guide has you covered. Jump to the outstanding, widely declared vintages 2017   2016   2011 2007  2003   2000 1998   1997   1996   1995   1994   1992   1991 1985  1983  1982   1980 1977   1970 1966   1963   1960 2017 …

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Vineyards and volcanics

Sümeg castle, north of Lake Balaton in Hungary In partnership with Wines of Hungary Volcanism over aeons of history has shaped much of Hungary’s landscape, although this explosive period came to an end around two million years ago. Its legacy is a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, caves and natural hot springs for visitors to explore. An overview The ancient Pannonian …

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Tasting the Cape in Kruger: Best lodges for wine lovers

Sundowners at Singita, where guests can take the chance to sample some of the best wines in South Africa, followed by dinner pairings. For close-up encounters with wild animals in their natural habitat, it’s hard to beat a safari in Kruger National Park and the adjacent Greater Kruger area. In addition to the state-owned national park, some 20 fenceless private …

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Barolo vs Barbaresco vs Brunello: What’s the difference?

Biondi-Santi and Soldera are two of the most revered producers of Brunello di Montalcino. Known collectively as ‘the three Bs’, Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino are three of Italy’s most renowned wines. Of course, it’s purely coincidence that all three begin with the same letter, but it’s a neat way to group these top-tier reds. Barolo and Barbaresco are …

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2017 Cune Gran Reserva Rioja

Just a few weeks ago we reviewed the Cune Albarino and mentioned in that post how much we enjoyed the red wines from Cune. And then our latest trip to Costco, we found this one, and as a bonus it’s a Gran Reserva. Can’t beat that, and for $20, which is a fantastic price for … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2017-cune-gran-reserva-rioja/

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2023 Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir

The Russian River Pinot Noir from Kirkland is a bottle we look forward to tasting every year, and we’ve seen varied quality since its introduction all the way back to the 2014 vintage. An important part that is consistent is the price, once again staying at $11.99, which is just crazy for fruit from this … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-kirkland-signature-russian-river-pinot-noir/

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The Road Ahead

Jason Doss has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcdoss/54062316203/in/pool-52609756@N00

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