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Ancient stone terraces recede towards the summit of Mount Etna at the Passopisciaro Winery. The terraces are made of lava rocks, the soil is pulverized ash and stone ejected from the volcano, and the vineyard itself sits on the site of an old lava flow in an area of Etna known as Contrada Guardiola which houses some of the oldest …

Opus One, one of California’s most legendary wineries, has hired a new winemaker. Meghan Zobeck, formerly winemaker at Burgess Cellars, has been named director of winemaking for the 170-acre Oakville estate. Started by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild as an audacious joint venture in the late 1970s, Opus One today touts 100 acres of vines in Napa Valley’s …

The 2022 vintage was so dry that Pomerol winemakers petitioned for, and were granted, irrigation rights for the first time. Some used it, though to varying degrees of effectiveness given the lack of equipment or infrastructure in place. Scroll down for the top-rated Pomerol 2022 in… Source : https://www.decanter.com/premium/the-best-pomerol-2022-in-bottle-552962/

Chateau Montelena put Californian Chardonnay on the map when it secured a shock victory at the 1976 Judgement of Paris. The winery’s 1973 Chardonnay earned the highest overall grade in that blind tasting, finishing ahead of the finest Meursault and Puligny Montrachet. Chateau Montelena has gone from strength to strength in the ensuing years, but it now has one eye …

Kentucky and Tennessee may be home to American whiskey, but there is no rule saying that these are the only areas allowed to produce this popular spirit. Regulations from The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) state that to qualify as a bourbon, a spirit has to be made in the US, have a mash bill of at …

A case of Lafite Rothschild 1990 will be among the wines auctioned. Christie’s said it would auction 2,474 bottles from the private cellar of Jörg G. Bucherer with a total estimated value of £1m.  Magnums of legendary Château Haut-Brion 1989 are among the highlights of the sale. Other Bordeaux lots include 12-bottle cases of Le Pin, Cheval Blanc and Lafite …

Who’s behind it: Restaurateur Stephen Starr and his Starr Restaurants group reopened, and reimagined, a legendary Washington, D.C., restaurant: the Occidental. Located in the historic Willard Hotel, just a block from the White House, the restaurant has been a dining destination for the country’s political leaders since opening in 1906. Starr took over ownership a year and a half ago, …

Cosimo III de’ Medici (1642-1723) was the penultimate Grand Duke of Tuscany and the least illustrious of the de’ Medici dynasty. He has gone down in history as a pretty ineffectual ruler, but he was responsible for one piece of legislation which lends a positive note to an otherwise somewhat tarnished reputation. Cosimo created a precursor of the Italian DOC …

Aerial view of Mauritius from the southwest, with Le Morne Brabant peninsula and basalt monolith to the left and the ‘underwater waterfall’ in the centre. A tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a winter sun destination. The (inactive) volcanic island, ringed by palm lined, white-sand beaches and lagoons, is protected by coral reefs, perfect for …

Average vineyard value in the UK county of Essex was up 20% year-on-year, as prices have come under pressure in several more established wine world regions, said the 2025 wealth report by global consultancy group Knight Frank. Interest in producing still wines has pushed vineyard prices in Essex to US$120,000 per hectare on average, although its status as a wine …

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion 2022 Pessac-Léognan and Graves suffered from it all in 2022 including frost, bordering wildfires and serious drought. Vineyards received the least amount of rain from veraison to harvest compared to the other major appellations, as much as -50.7% compared to the 10 year average. Scroll down for the top-rated Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 in bottle …

Andrew Caillard at home Chair Nick Lander explained that books were judged against several criteria: they needed to contain a large amount of original research; be of enduring, educational value; be a pleasure to read; and be well produced. This year, the 46th year of the awards, saw a record number of submissions, with more than 160 books entered. Drink …

Looking for value in Burgundy? There’s no doubt, it’s a challenge. ‘In the grand scheme of the world of wines, value is pretty much nonexistent from Burgundy at this point,’ says Jonathan Eichholz MS, co-owner of New York City restaurant pop-up Aftergold and educator at GuildSomm International. Indeed, a decade ago, stellar expressions of Burgundy’s top sites and winemakers could …

Entering its 22nd year, Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) remains the world’s largest and most influential wine competition, consistently delivering significant return on investment for its entrants—whether through boosted brand recognition, increased sales or expanded distribution in new markets. DWWA’s unmatched reputation is built on its rigorous judging process, overseen by world-class experts whose evaluations uphold the competition’s credibility and …

Luckett Vineyard in Annapolis Valley. ‘You can close your eyes and taste Nova Scotia,’ Gina Haverstock tells me while describing the wines produced in Canada’s beautiful maritime province. Now the chief winemaker for three wineries, Haverstock represents a broader trend. Notes and scores for wines from Nova Scotia… Source : https://www.decanter.com/premium/the-dynamic-transformation-of-nova-scotias-wines-552858/

Last month, producers of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano announced the introduction of 12 subzones into production regulations. Named Pievi (singular: Pieve) after the area’s historical parishes, these subzones reflect a broader trend seen in many wine regions toward subdividing territories into increasingly smaller, more circumscribed and precisely defined geographical units. First it was Barbaresco in 2007, followed by Barolo in …

Jean Hugues & Guilhem Goisot vines, looking south over the village of St-Bris-le-Vineux. The Grand Auxerrois describes a large area in the Yonne department surrounding Chablis in the north of Burgundy. More than a century ago, this was one of the most important wine-producing areas in France, before it was devastated by the phylloxera bug and changing economic conditions. In …

The Château Montrose and Tronquoy 2022 bottles St-Estephe was battered by hail and drought in 2022 causing widespread damage in the ‘hail corridor’ running through the appellation as well as stressing the vines during the height of summer. Scroll down for the top-rated St-Estèphe 2022 in bottle {“content”:”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”} All St-Estèphe 2022 in bottle scores COMING SOON Tasting notes for all …

The sorting table at Le Macchiole. Italy might be renowned for its ancient varieties, but two noble French interlopers, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, now contribute to some of Italy’s most prestigious wines, telling a fascinating story of adaptation and evolving identity. The pair, commonly referred to simply as ‘Cabernet’ in blends, has become a hot topic in Italian wine …

Be the first to secure your place at the fourth Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York, returning on Saturday June 7  for another unforgettable celebration of fine wine. As a Decanter Premium member, you have exclusive early access to tickets before general sale. Returning to the dynamic heart of New York City, Decanter Fine Wine Encounter offers a rare chance …