British negociant Louis Boutinot established Waterkloof in 2004 with the purchase of 100 hectares of land on Schapenberg Hill overlooking False Bay, located just 5 km away.  Since then he has expanded the existing vineyard to 53 hectares, adopted organic and biodynamic viticultural methods, and built a state of the art gravity flow winery.  We recently visited Waterkloof  to taste …

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) reached new heights in early February, as 675 wine lovers gathered in a tent outside the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón to bid on lots combining luxurious travel and culinary experiences with rare wines. The auction, which benefits the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF), has firmly established itself as the top charity wine event in …

Cupcake’s new line of low-calorie wines. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Esther Mobley examines the rise of low-alcohol wines. “This category is poised for better success than wine overall. While sales of full-strength wine are projected to decrease 2% by volume from 2022 through 2026, according to analyst IWSR, low-alcohol wine is slated to grow by 10% during that same …

Georgina Hindle, Vincenzo Arnese and Daphne Teremetz tasted 89 wines with three Outstanding and 59 Highly recommended. Cru bourgeois 2018: panel tasting scores 89 wines tasted Exceptional 0 Outstanding 3 Highly recommended 59 Recommended 26 Commended 1 Fair 0 Poor 0 Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2018-vintage red Bordeaux wines from cru bourgeois properties …

Gagnon and Kennedy walking the vineyards. When Napa was established as one of the original 27 counties of California in 1849, the first vineyards weren’t far behind. Samuel Brannan, the self-titled vineyard plot was planted by the founder of Calistoga in 1862. Old Federal Block was planted initially by To Kalon founder H.W. Crabb in 1881. These were among the …

A tasting at Château Pape Clément Celebrating 1252-2022 Georgina Hindle Last year, Cha?teau Pape Cle?ment, Grand Cru Classe? de Graves, celebrated its 770th anniversary, now heading towards eight centuries of continuous wine production (the vineyard was planted in the 13th century by Bertrand de Got, who went on to become Pope Clement V). A special tasting was held in Paris …

Santiago de Chile Appropriately, the capital of Chile sits right in the middle of the country, flanked by the Andes and the Chilean coastal range. As such, it often serves merely as a stopover for those who fly into the city on their way to other destinations, such as Easter Island, the Atacama Desert or the Patagonias. However, those who …

Sleek and handsomely structured, with expressive raspberry and red plum flavors laced with black tea, forest floor and hints of mineral, building tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. 5,262 cases made. Source : 8fe00c33ee3f9cc50a84d3d45fd8506a

A juicy, medium- to full-bodied red, with hints of chocolate and warm spices lacing flavors of cherry pâte de fruit, red licorice and singed orange peel. Reveals a savory waft of grilled herbs and smoke, which gain momentum through the midpalate and join lightly chewy tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 3,000 cases made, 1,200 cases imported. Source …