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International Grenache Day: Top-scoring wines to try

International Grenache Day is celebrated annually on the third Friday of September. One of the world’s most planted grape varieties, Grenache is widely grown in southern France, Spain (where it is known as Garnacha), the United States and Australia. It ripens late, requiring warm and dry conditions to fully ripen, but is versatile both in the vineyard and winery where …

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Antinori adds three new Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines

Aerial view of the San Sano estate. On Monday 10 September, at the historic Villa Antinori Cigliano, Marchese Piero Antinori announced the addition of three new Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines to the Antinori range. ‘When you speak of Chianti Classico it is music to my ears,’ he said. ‘Chianti Classico is part of the DNA of the Antinori family …

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Hello Kitty wine removed from UK market after complaint upheld

Torti Wine launched the Hello Kitty range in 2009, and the wines have been sold at specialist UK retailers for several years. However, they will now be stripped from shelves following a crackdown from The Portman Group, a regulator funded by the drinks industry. The watchdog received the following complaint from a shopper: ‘Astonished to see alcohol sold under a …

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Bottega: Elevating Prosecco to the next level

Bottega vineyards in Treviso, Italy. Few bottles catch the eye like Bottega’s selection of Prosecco. The sleek bottles with their striking designs are easy to spot in restaurants and bars. Now, the range has show-stopping new premium additions – Gold Cru, Gold Extra Brut, Gold Diamond, Black Stardust and Gold Stardust – with extended fermentation periods. Bottega Gold Cru is …

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Napa Valley Cabernet 2021: Top wines from Spring Mountain & Mt Veeder

Vineyards on Spring Mountain. Napa Cabernet 2021: full vintage report and top-scoring wines Spring Mountain The idyllic and mountainous Spring Mountain AVA, reaching up to 640 meters of elevation on the northern and eastern slopes of the Mayacamas range, has always been about rugged individuality and an almost heroic performance from the vines, even in easy-going vintages. In 2021, however, …

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Bodegas Bianchi: Honouring a legacy through continuous improvement

Bodegas Bianchi’s Valle de Uco vineyards As it celebrates its 96th vintage, Bodegas Bianchi can look back on almost a century of excellence in Argentinian viticulture. Seeking to reflect the diverse terroirs of the Uco Valley and San Rafael in Mendoza, the winery relies on the experience of the Bianchi family, the skill of its winemaking team, and the vision …

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Vegalfaro – Creativity fuelled by pragmatism

Rodolfo Valiente, founder and winemaker at Vegalfaro The founding of Vegalfaro was itself a statement of social sustainability: a cross-generational winery venture from father-and-son team Andrés and Rodolfo Valiente, bringing together complementary knowledge about viticulture’s past and present, and a shared vision for its future. Rodolfo is now at the helm of the project, supported by a small, close-knit team …

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Alcohol-free wine: All you need to know

Torres selects grapes with de-alcoholisation specifically in mind. The first point to make is that there is a difference between ‘lower alcohol’ wines (say 9% abv) and non-alcoholic. The former can be created by using ‘normal’ winemaking techniques and playing with things like earlier picking times (so less sugar to turn into alcohol), and ‘lazy’ yeast strains to generate a …

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New stocks of lauded Château Latour 2009 released

A view towards Château Latour’s vineyard tower. Château Latour 2009 has been acclaimed as one of the best wines in a top Bordeaux vintage, and the first growth estate released fresh stocks from its cellars on Tuesday (17 September).  Around 12,000 bottles of Latour 2009 were part of the latest release and were priced at €910 per bottle ex-(Bordeaux) négociant, …

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Argentina: A vine resource for the wine world?

Massal-selection Malbec growing in Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary Monasterio. ‘When it comes to Vitis vinifera genetic diversity, the New World could save the Old World.’ This dramatic statement was made in 2023 by Dr Etienne Neethling, a South Africa-born viticulture researcher now working in France. This view may be surprising, considering the country that’s home to the largest …

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Wine Vision by Open Balkan 2024: Confluence of Tastes

Today, it is no surprise that Wine Vision by Open Balkan, the leading wine event in southeastern Europe, is one of the continent’s largest wine fairs. However, few anticipated such rapid growth to occur as early as 2023, during what was only the second year of the event. Born from regional cooperation among the Open Balkan countries – Albania, North …

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Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu 2023 $36 (92 points)

Fresh-crushed apple, quince and spice notes have an earthy dimension, with hints of roasted agave and wet soil. There’s beautiful range and just enough plumpness to make this generous, yet it’s held in check by a chalky mineral element and very fine tannins. Toasted almond and salted butter notes move in, with lime-edged acidity cleaning up the finish. Refined and …

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A good stand by

spelio has added a photo to the pool: With a roast pork and apple sauce with veggies Houghton White Classic Dry White 2023 then a Magnum Mini and Classic Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/spelio/53965473186/in/pool-14289677@N00

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Auction of Washington Wines Raises $4.25 Million for Kids’ Healthcare and Wine Research

Washington’s wine industry can draw some star power, whether it’s actor and vintner Kyle MacLachlan or winemaking rock star Christophe Baron. Both pitched in to raise money for a great cause at last month’s 37th annual Auction of Washington Wines (AWW). The weekend pulled in $4.25 million for Seattle Children’s Hospital, Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology program and industry grant …

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