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, …
Read More »Berry Bros & Rudd: Autumn and Christmas wine picks
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 …
Read More »In conversation with olive oil producer Aleksandra Vekic
Istrian olive oil producer and owner of Mate, Aleksandra Vekic Since the early 1990s, when Croatia and Slovenia gained independence, the region’s traditional craft of olive oil making has been rediscovered and revolutionised. The exceptional quality of Istrian olives and of the oil made here – artisanal, favouring quality over quantity – is now widely recognised, and in recent years …
Read More »Vinography Unboxed: Week of 11/10/24
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 bunch of really excellent white wines, including quite notably, one of …
Read More »Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Lower East 2019 $25 (92 points)
Keenly structured and elegantly detailed, this red offers currant and cherry flavors accented by hints of espresso and spices, gathering tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2029. 2,234 cases made. Source : 357e5eb9e524123d475ec7a1a4387c53
Read More »Chablis wineries see ‘crazy’ climate and small 2024 harvest
Chablis vineyards in autumn (2023). Miserable weather during the growing season means that many Chablis winemakers saw a relatively small 2024 harvest. Figures were still being finalised, but the overall Chablis 2024 harvest was likely to be less than half of the level seen in 2023, said Paul Espitalié, president of the Chablis Commission, which is part of the regional …
Read More »Andrew Jefford: ‘Collioure could be a little mountain Burgundy of the south’
You could almost hear the vineyards gurgling with pleasure: this April drench came after three years of drought. A pair of trail runners emerged from a path through the bushes just beneath us, their 400m climb over, sodden, panting, beaming. ‘All that effort for nothing,’ lamented one of the wine- growers, shaking his head in wry amusement. ‘And we can’t …
Read More »Best Press Releases for 11.15.24
For Wine Marketing Nerds ~ Enolytics Cathy Huyghe, of Enolytics, reveals her soul this week. She wrote, “It is a h*ll of a lot harder than it looks. To build it, for starters. To keep the data private and safe. To update the technology. To test new features so that they can be released securely. […] The post Best Press …
Read More »Europe for the senses
Etna DOC wine, Alto Adige wine, Pecorino Romano cheese European Union (EU) quality labels, including Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) for wines from Italy and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for food, offer consumers a guarantee of origin, quality and safety of the products they choose. The label is a clear indication that products are representative of their region and …
Read More »Expert’s Choice: Hunter Valley Semillon
Winemaker Andrew Thomas sampling the latest vintage of Thomas Wines Semillon. The dry white Semillon of Hunter Valley is one of the wine world’s greatest secrets. It has a devoted following among those consumers who have discovered it and it’s revered by the winemakers of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales; yet it goes curiously uncelebrated in much of …
Read More »Aragón reds: Panel tasting results
Beth Willard, Valentin Radosav and David Williams tasted 77 wines, with 2 Outstanding and 24 Highly Recommended. Aragón reds: Panel tasting scores 40 wines tasted Exceptional 0 Outstanding 2 Highly recommended 24 Recommended 47 Commended 4 Fair 0 Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit current-release, still red wines from DOs Calatayud, Campo de Borja, Cariñena and …
Read More »Penfolds Shiraz South Australia Bin 28 2022 $40 (93 points)
Offers an impressive mix of fruit flavors and oak influences, finding an expressive balance between framboise, cherry and pomegranate flavors that are ripe, fleshy and fresh. On the oak side, smooth vanilla, almond nougat and milk chocolate notes are showy, along with grace notes of cedar, Saigon cinnamon and clove. Drink now through 2033. 12,360 cases imported. Source : 6cc84e8df126556ee1c9109eb90bdbce
Read More »Ontario: The evolution of Riesling on the shores of the Great Lakes
Ripened Riesling ready for harvest in Ontario. The 1970s marked the quality wine movement for Ontario and Canada at large. Riesling was there from the start, with the first vines planted in 1976. As Canada’s largest viticultural area, Ontario currently has 18,000 acres (7,300ha) under vine. Riesling makes up approximately 1,600 acres of this, neck and neck with Chardonnay. The …
Read More »Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône White Réserve 2023 $15 (88 points)
Yellow plum and nectarine notes are fresh and juicy in this tasty, medium-bodied white. Round on the palate, with a good spike of acidity, savory herb details and zesty mineral energy. Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Drink now. 45,000 cases made, 15,000 cases imported. Source : 24646d4b71dc8ca0f670052fdc20e597
Read More »Vinography Images: Island Vines
Vines look out on the Hauraki Gulf from their home perched on a hill on Waiheke Island, a short ferry ride from Auckland, New Zealand. A popular site for weekenders and tourists alike, Waiheke possesses a unique and distinctive wine region of its own, and plays host to a number of high-quality wineries. INSTRUCTIONS:Download this image by right-clicking on the …
Read More »Straight Talk Episode 27: The Top 10 Wines of 2024 and the State of the Wine Industry
We’re wrapping up season 2 of Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast by counting down the Top 10 Wines of 2024 with senior editor and host James Molesworth. But before James reveals this year’s 10 most exciting wines, including Wine Spectator’s 2024 Wine of the Year, we’re taking a look at the economic state of the wine industry with longtime industry …
Read More »Layers
ZeGaby has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/zegaby/54141813715/in/pool-52609756@N00
Read More »Alexander Valley Vineyard
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Read More »Dry Creek Valley
thomasmoyer43 has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/200730164@N04/54138855870/in/pool-52609756@N00
Read More »Illegal grapes
she_who_must has added a photo to the pool: Grafted onto stock of the forbidden Noah variety La Madeleine, Saint-Mont Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/she_who_must/24284597189/in/pool-52609756@N00
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