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Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week included a few very nice white wines from here, there and everywhere. Closest …

Montefalco has spent the last decade enhancing its formidable reputation for excellence – it rests upon unique terroir, indigenous grape varieties, and sustainable winegrowing. The timing is most opportune, as today’s oenophiles increasingly demand authentic experiences and esoteric flavours, with a sense of time and place, which is exactly what this Umbrian odyssey delivers. There is far more to this …

After red wine fermentation completes, tanks are drained of their liquid, but what remains is a wet soppy mess of skins and seeds (and sometimes stems) that gets dumped into the press. But before it gets there, it has to be dug out of the tank. Which is where harvest interns come in. Francesca does the duty at Fitapreta Vinhos …

Robert Mondavi was brilliant at creating prestigious joint ventures, such as Opus One in Napa, and Se?a with Eduardo Chadwick in Chile. But less well known was Luce in Tuscany. Srcoll down to see tasting notes and scores for a vertical of Luce from 2000-2020 In the 1970s, Mondavi had toured Italy with his son Tim with a view to …

2023 harvest: ‘The motivated endure’ The 2023 Ukrainian wine harvest reflects winemakers’ resolve. Amid the ongoing conflict, vintners display remarkable resilience; diligently tending vineyards, producing wines and exporting their products worldwide. Despite unique challenges, winemakers remain optimistic. Credit: Wines of Ukraine According to the Wines of Ukraine website: ‘Six wine regions have been officially approved in Ukraine. This is an …

Added foraged botanicals to the still to make Lantic Gin Terroir is often a term used in reference to wine. When a certain grape is grown close to the sea or in mineral-rich soils for example, imbibers are able to taste a hint of salinity or flint in the resulting wine. In the same way terroir can also be used …

Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) wine division, now part of First Citizens Bank, recently highlighted winery tasting room trends in its direct-to-consumer report. A ‘standard’ winery tasting in Napa County averaged $81, compared to $38 in Sonoma County and $32 in Oregon, it found, based on 332 winery responses.  It also said the average retail price at Napa County wineries rose …

The collection belongs to Taiwanese entrepreneur Pierre Chen. The auction house described it as ‘the largest, most important and by far the most valuable wine collection ever to come to the market’. It features a huge array of fine and rare wines, including two six-litre Methuselahs of Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti La Tâche 1985, which have an estimated price of …

In Northeastern Italy, lies the town of Verona, made famous by Shakepeare’s star-crossed lovers. Just north of the fair city, is one of Italy’s most loved wine regions, Valpolicella DOC. Amongst the gentle slopes of the verdant Valpolicella Classico region, the beautiful Villa Santa Sofia was built in 1560 – mere decades before Shakespeare wrote his bittersweet tale. Designed by …

Historically, Bordeaux’s network of merchants and brokers, known as ‘La Place’, was a closed enterprise dedicated to the buying and selling of claret. Yet things have come a long way since the days of Bordeaux-only vision; the finest Australian wines are now being promoted in the world’s oldest (and most developed) distribution network, as consumers embrace diversity and worldwide excellence. …

Long considered one of Argentina’s leading wineries, Achaval Ferrer has now consolidated their place and reputation in the exclusive global fine wine market. To understand how they have achieved this privileged status, one only needs to take into account the excellence displayed by each of the winery’s Malbecs since 1999, especially their Fincas trilogy; wines made solely with grapes from …

Château Haut-Brion stands apart from its peers in many ways. Some of these differences are historical: it is the only first growth of 1855 that is not located on the Médoc peninsula. Although the area around the city of Bordeaux was the birthplace of winemaking in the region, by the time of the 1855 classification, Haut-Brion was the only château …

The effects of the fire in a vineyard in DO Valle de Güímar. The fire started at the Lomo Redondo viewpoint at 1,225m in altitude, within the municipality of Arafo. During the investigation, authorities have found not only the origin but also suspect it was started intentionally as an act of arson. While now controlled, the fire continues to burn …

A view across Cobble Hill Vineyard in Norfolk. English vineyard Cobble Hill, near to the north Norfolk coast, has been listed for sale by estate agency Knight Frank, which said it is seeking offers in excess of £1.3m ($1.58m).  Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Bacchus grape varieties are planted at the 3.6-hectare (ha) vineyard (nine acres), which has chalky soils reminiscent …

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. Supermarket Giants Safeway and Albertsons Enter the World of Online Fine Wine with Direct …

The biggest business news in Napa this summer was E.&J. Gallo’s buying spree, scooping up Rombauer Vineyards and Massican in a matter of days. The two wineries could not be more different. Rombauer produces 350,000 cases a year and owns more than 700 acres of vines in Napa Valley, Carneros and the Sierra Foothills. Massican, a boutique label started by …

Who wants an encore? Fresh off his first Wine Spectator video contest win, in 2022, Steve Jacobson has earned the grand prize for the second year in a row with his latest video, “Love the Wine You’re With,” dedicated to all the enophiles out there. “I started working on this literally the weekend I got back from the New York …

The whisky was found behind a hidden cellar door at Blair Castle, Perthshire. The whisky is believed to have been distilled in 1833 and bottled in 1841, so experts believe it to be the oldest Scotch in existence. They delved into the castle’s archives and used carbon dating technology at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre to determine that the …

In a testament to our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are proud to announce that for the second consecutive year, we will be sponsoring the prestigious ‘Writer of the Year’ category at the BIH Spotlight Awards. This event, now in its second year, symbolises a celebration of the exceptional achievements and contributions of individuals from black, Asian, and ethnic …

Vineyard scene in the Marne Valley. Authorities found hungry, exhausted workers living in a squalid hut when conducting a routine check in Nesle-le-Repons, a village in the Marne Valley. Gendarmes and officers from France’s MSA agency regularly inspect these buildings in a bid to combat illegal work. They discovered ‘makeshift bedding, dilapidation, unsanitary conditions, lack of cleaning and disinfection, the …