The sun catches telephone lines and the tops of vineyard rows in the early morning at Gallo’s Two Rock Vineyard outside of Cotati in Sonoma County. Gallo owns more than 20,000 acres of vineyards in California, and many recent additions to their portfolio have been more premium coastal vineyards. INSTRUCTIONS:Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting “save …

I spend a good deal of time traveling to wine regions around the world, tasting and talking. My interests in wine tend to be driven by my curiosity, and my thirst driven by diversity. As a result, I find myself in emerging wine regions more often than I do the blue-chip standard-bearers. To wit: I have been to wine regions …

Teliani Valley vineyards. ‘When I started producing wine, the wineries were all in a very bad condition,’ said Askaneli Brothers president Gocha Chkhaidze, recalling the poor state of the Georgian wine industry shortly after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. ‘There was inadequate sanitation, a lack of know-how and old-fashioned bottling lines. People were unable …

Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) is a not-for-profit organisation, born out of the lack of representation of Black, Asian and minority groups at all levels of the hospitality, food & drink industry. Founded by Lorraine Copes in 2020, its mission is to accelerate racial equity in the industry.  The Spotlight Awards is the first of its kind for BIH, aptly named …

Now in its eighth year, International Pinotage Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in October. A crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, Pinotage is a red variety developed in South Africa in 1924, but it was not until the late 1980s that it began to gain recognition internationally. Predominantly grown and vinified in South Africa, when produced well, Pinotage displays …

Clairette Blanche grapes. If Grenache is the king of southern Rho?ne reds, then what is the region’s star white variety? Grenache Blanc may be the most widely planted, but I would argue the case for Clairette, or Clairette Blanche to use its full name. Clairette is usually found in blends, but I’ve been encountering pure Clairette increasingly frequently. To get …

A toasty version for fans of the style, with chopped hazelnut, vanilla and biscuit aromas and flavors accenting a pretty range of glazed apricot and tangerine fruit, lime blossoms and spice. A medium-bodied, bright and focused white, with a lasting, well-meshed finish. Drink now through 2027. 14,750 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Source : 839e995af0fe7c4a3eb8ddf1739cab74

Features a layer of vanilla clinging to a fresh grape, plum and cherry core, with dusty, chalky tannins. Drink now. 20,000 cases made, 10,000 cases imported. Source : 18959abeaafbc7b3ecd57e72b7047669