Psychologists analysing paratroopers divide them into three different categories: ‘courageous’, ‘fearless’ and ‘over-confident’. It’s not clear which of these would have applied to ex-paratrooper Bob Koth, but almost certainly one of those qualities was required to plant what is the most eclectic collection of wine grapes in a single vineyard anywhere in the state of California. Bob Koth grew up …

Hello, and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard-inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week. Silicon Valley Bank collapse is causing a financial crisis for California’s wine industryUncertain times. …

Alex Bridgeman is a judge the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Alex Bridgeman Alex Bridgeman Alex Bridgeman has been working with fortified wines for nearly 20 years. Over that time, he has accumulated a library of over 6,500 tasting notes on fortified wines, allowing many wines to be followed during their long, slow development to maturity. In 2017, his passion …

Jane Boyce MW is a judge at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Jane Boyce MW Jane Boyce MW Jane Boyce MW is the Fine Wine Manager at James Nicholson Wine Merchant, re-joining the company 7 years ago after nearly twenty years working freelance within the wine trade. Before taking up her role at JNwine, Boyce ran wine courses, …

Nicholas Blampied-Lane is a judge at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Nicholas Blampied-Lane Nicholas Blampied-Lane is originally from New Zealand but left to study Winemaking and Viticulture in France. After completing his post graduate studies in Toulouse, he travelled the world doing vintages in France, NZ, USA and Australia. He then became a winemaker at Cloudy Bay Vineyards where …

Neil Bernardi is a judge at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Neil Bernardi Neil Bernardi is a dual American/Italian citizen born and raised in Northern California. After living briefly in Florence, Italy, he attended UC Davis to study Italian. At Davis, Neil fell in love with winemaking, and during which he spent three years in the lab of …

Vineyards in Apalta, Colchagua Valley Is Syrah wine’s greatest chameleon? There are certainly few other varieties in South America that give us such a great illustration of the continent’s diverse wine regions and myriad styles. Chile is undoubtedly the home of South America’s best Syrah wines, even though Argentina has much more of it planted, at 11,500ha (INV data to …

Melania Battiston is a judge at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Melania Battiston Melania Battiston Melania Battiston comes from a small town in Lombardy, Italy. She is currently Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer at Medlar restaurant in Chelsea, London. Eight years ago, she moved to the UK to study Marketing at the University of Bath. After meeting Clement …

Joseph Arthur is a judge at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur has worked in almost every sector of the trade; from making wine in Bordeaux and England whilst completing his BSc in Viticulture and Oenology, to selling fine wine to London’s most prestigious restaurants. He then moved into buying, specialising in Italy …

2023 will be the last year for Silicon Valley Bank’s State of the US Wine Industry report. “The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said on Friday that it would take over Silicon Valley Bank, a 40-year-old institution based in Santa Clara, Calif. The bank’s failure is the second-largest in U.S. history, and the largest since the financial crisis of 2008,” the …

Vineyards of Dr Konstantin Frank in New York’s Finger Lakes. Riesling’s homeland is, of course, Germany, where it all started. Likely a descendant of wild grape vines growing in the Rheingau region, Riesling was first noted in 1435 and recorded as ‘Riesslingen’ in a record of a sale of grape vines made on 13 March of that year. As a …

California’s wine industry has avoided a financial crisis after the federal government announced a multibillion-dollar rescue package for depositors at the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Thousands of wineries were locked out of their accounts after the industry’s go-to bank was placed into receivership on Friday. They spent an anxious weekend fearing that they would be unable to pay their …

Dr. Michael Apstein is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Michael Apstein Dr. Michael Apstein is a columnist, WineReviewOnLine.com, TerroirSense.com and Quench Magazine. Michael Apstein has written about wine for over three decades. He is currently a columnist and wine reviewer for WineReviewOnLine.com, TerroirSense.com, a Shanghai-based website, and Quench Magazine, Canada’s longest running food and wine magazine. …

Audrey Annoh-Antwi is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). Audrey Annoh Antwi Audrey Annoh-Antwi Audrey Annoh-Antwi is a sommelier, event host and occasional writer specialising in pairing wine with West African food. She first judged at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2021. See more judges for DWWA  2023. The post DWWA Judge profile: Audrey Annoh-Antwi appeared …

The 95th Academy Awards, more usually known as The Oscars, saw the usual glittering array of award-winning stars thanking their agents, managers and occasionally screenwriters. One former member of that last profession, though, made a cameo role in a very different capacity this year. Prince Robert of Luxembourg worked as a screenwriter in a past life, but this year he …

An intriguing, off-dry white that has good complexity, with a bed of slate and flint supporting ripe apple and white peach flavors. Features flashes of tarragon and a searing spine of acidity, which brings firmness and drives length. Drink now through 2027. 3,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. Source : 9e5cbf30fedb25d6cc9baf88ca9a4846

A chewy red, offering a fresh mix of blackberry coulis, wild sage and rosemary, hot stone and black pepper. Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Drink now through 2026. 15,000 cases made, 3,500 cases imported. Source : c37ed38bae6bcb85499a662c0726dd1a

Sometimes it feels like we’re all going somewhere in a handbasket, and very fast. Bad things are happening all over the world, and some of them are really tragic. It’s enough to drive you to drink. But what if you could actually do some good by drinking wine? What if by buying a bottle or two, you could contribute, even …