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The legacy and the road ahead Saskia began the masterclass by taking the audience back over 150 years, to when the Rothschild family first started making wine at Château Lafite, the Pauillac first growth, in 1868. ‘These are vineyards nurtured by a family that has been living there forever. It’s a home for me and my father (Baron Eric de …

Mount Etna viewed from the estate of Ciro Biondi in Trecastagni. ‘The future of wine at world level is Italy,’ declared Luigi Moio, president of the OIV (International Wine Organisation), professor of oenology at the University of Naples, and owner of the Quintodecimo winery in Campania, during a conference on Etna in September. Moio emphasised the importance of late ripening …

New release: Cristal 2016 ‘2016 reminds me of 2002,’ says Louis Roederer cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, comparing the latest release to the ‘packed structure and concentration’ that characterised one of Champagne’s most lauded vintages of the last three decades. In fact, 2016 was a rather more difficult growing season, with mildew and frost leading to low yields. But the end …

Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva Rioja wine Imagine it: it’s dawn, there’s dew underfoot, and the rising sun gleams through the mist. As far as the eye can see, there’s Tempranillo on the vine – awaiting harvest. This is Cenicero, in the very heart of Rioja Alta, and on mornings like this, it feels as though time holds its …

President-elect Donald Trump, Kid Rock and Elon Musk. Proposed mass deportation of undocumented immigrants could have a major impact on vineyards in particular, where vineyard owners, especially on the US West Coast, rely heavily on undocumented farm labour for their harvests. Tariffs could also raise prices on foreign wines, theoretically making US-made wines more competitive domestically. Uncertainty abounds, but many …

The origins of Zinfandel trace back to Croatia where it’s known as Tribidrag or Crljenak Kaštelanski. In the US, the variety is known as Zinfandel, playing a key role in the establishment of California’s wine industry, and in Italy it’s recognised as Primitivo where the region of Puglia is home. Though elegant, fruity and fresh styles exist, Zinfandel tends to include …

Six wine styles to try with beef: Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec Nebbiolo (Barolo) Pinot Noir Chardonnay (oaked) Search Decanter wine reviews to find the perfect bottle Choosing a wine to drink with roast beef It’s hard to beat a delicious bottle of red wine with roast beef or hearty beef stew on a wintry afternoon, whether it’s Christmas Day or …

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. Yiannis Boutaris, Vintner, Animal Defender and Greek Mayor, Dies at 82RIP to a Greek …

The Thanksgiving table includes a myriad of dishes and flavours, starting with appetisers to graze on as guests arrive. The buffet lineup of traditional dishes typically includes roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles and cranberry relish. Plates are filled with these favourites, and in one bite, you might get turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy. So, how do you pair wines …

Joe and Pat Campbell founded Elk Cove in 1974, establishing the first vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The sub-appellation of Yamhill-Carlton is positioned due west of the much smaller Ribbon Ridge, and rather more famous Dundee Hills AVA. Just like the Dundee Hills, which was carved out of the Oregon wilderness by David Letts in 1965, Yamhill-Carlton is another pioneering …

It’s a sweet coincidence that today I’ve been going back and forth with Isabel Ramos, from my first trip in Évora and the Alentejo. Luís Ribeiro is another Portuguese friend, and we were also recently speaking. Arranging a meeting, while there, would have been icing on the cake, but it became complicated. The schedule I […] The post Patron Saint …

Alain Suguenot, Jean Reno, Eva Longoria, Zabou Breitman, Dominic West and Aurélie Vandevoorde at the Hospices de Beaune 2024 auction. While a far cry from the record set in 2022 of €29,788,500, the average price per barrel sold – €31,540 – represented a small increase from last year’s average, at €30,839 per barrel, even if bids were lower per barrel …

It’s not every day that an official European government body makes a decision and notes that it’s informed by work that you’ve done personally. But last week, the OIV (General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine & Wine) formally adopted Resolution OIV-VITI 703-2024 “OIV definition and recommendations about old grapevines and old vineyards in the vitivinicultural sector.” and in …

It was an auction lot so good, it sold three times. Lot number five at the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s Carnivale du Vin on Nov. 16 was “Chef Charlie Trotter’s Legacy,” starring a bottle of Château Margaux 1900 from Trotter’s personal collection, donated by his widow, Rochelle. Trotter had said if he ever planned a last meal, that would be the …

Bodega Otronia’s extreme winemaking terroir is on the shores of Lake Musters in the heart of the Patagonian desert. Argentinian winery, Bodega Otronia continues to break the mould with its extreme winemaking terroir and distinctive wines in the Chubut province on the shores of Lake Musters in the heart of the Patagonian desert. Not only is Otronia the southernmost commercial …

Finca Calderón Enoresort, Sierra Norte’s hotel and restaurant in Requena Attention and detail and collaboration are the foundations of Sierra Norte, a project that began with the pioneering vision of two men with a love for their land and was consolidated by their descendents with a focus on organic viticulture and indigenous grape varieties. From its humble beginnings, the company …

More than 1,200 people flocked to DFWE London 2024 to enjoy wines from some of the world’s leading producers. More than 1,200 wine lovers made the annual pilgrimage to the historic Landmark London hotel in Marylebone for the 27th Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE). From 9am – 90 minutes before doors opened – 300 lucky ticket holders for the morning …

Finca Cañada-Honda in winter In the first decade of the 20th century, when Bodegas Iranzo bottled the wines hailing from Cañada-Honda stating the origin of the grapes on the labels, the producer became the first to release an estate wine. Since then, Iranzo has remained committed to its unique legacy while consolidating a pioneering sustainability strategy in active implementation since …

Red wines fermenting at Scotchmans Hill winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia. Where the wild winds of the Bass Strait pound and spray the rugged Victorian coastline, dedicated and passionate winemakers are producing some of the country’s finest and most elegant Pinot Noirs. Head a little inland, and the Pinot Noir is ripe, bold and immediately satisfying. From the cool, …

The UK’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd was founded in London in 1698. The business began as a grocer, located opposite St James’s Palace, owned by the Widow Bourne. Her descendants continued to run the business through successive generations, becoming suppliers to the Royal Family under George III in 1760. George Berry came to the company …