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Daily Archives: December 23, 2024

Twenty Year Old Tawny Port: Tawny at its apex?

Kopke’s Quinta de São Luiz. Courtesy of Sogevinus. Starting one’s journey in the world of Port can be as daunting as it quickly becomes captivating. The variety of styles across producers and categories, as well as the identity of each vintage and estate – reflecting the nuances of the Douro river meanders and valley slopes – places it among the …

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Oregon sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve

Rollin Soles got the ball rolling on sparkling wine at Oregon’s Argyle back in 1987. Who knows if – more than three decades ago – he could have foreseen the growth and quality of the wine style’s production in the Willamette Valley. There are now around 100 sparkling producers in the valley, based on self-reporting to the Willamette Valley Wineries …

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What is Fumé Blanc?

Robert Mondavi at his wine growing estate at Napa Valley, USA 1991. Robert Mondavi coined the term Fumé Blanc in an attempt to boost the profile and differentiate a new style of Sauvignon Blanc he was crafting in Napa Valley. Sauvignon Blanc in the United States Plantings of Sauvignon Blanc date back to the early 1880s in California’s Livermore Valley. …

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The sommelier suggests… Styria by Vladimir Kojic

Vladimir Kojic has worked in the wine industry for 20 years. He started as a sommelier working for the Cunard cruise line and the Queen Mary 2, before moving to the Soneva Kiri hotel, on a remote island in Thailand. He passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced-level qualification in 2012, and is studying for Master Sommelier. He is now …

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Best-value white Rioja: 18 top bottles to try

As recently as five years ago it would have been hard to consistently find white Riojas on wine shelves. For many UK consumers, ‘white Rioja’ might in fact have sounded like an oxymoron, the region’s name being associated with the red iterations that have become pantry staples. Scroll down to see notes and scores for 18 best-value white Rioja wines …

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Decanter’s Dream Destination: Clos Apalta Residence, Chile

The seemingly endless drive down the driveway opens up to the expansive Clos Apalta vineyard, from which the eponymous flagship wine gets its name. It sits adjacent to its architecturally significant gravity flow winery that has graced the pages of countless magazines. And just above the vineyard, dotted about the steep mountainside are 10 ultra-spacious casitas and villas – the …

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