Christmas 2021 – a dozen delights Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to you all! Thanks for reading, supporting and encouraging me during this incredibly challenging year. Here’s my present to you all – the pick of the wines for Christmas 2021, together with a Christmas Card. This year there are a dozen delights. All come highly recommended for …
Off the beaten track – some lesser-known Italian wines
Off the beaten track – some lesser-known Italian wines Despite the smaller harvests reported this year, Italy remains the biggest wine-producing country globally. Many readers will know that this massive volume of wine is also incredibly diverse, whether in quality, price, style, terroir, business or winegrowing philosophies. The last time I looked, there were 569 grape varieties registered, with 377 …
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Xinomavro – Celebrating International Xinomavro Day
Xinomavro – Celebrating International Xinomavro Day Xinomavro is a Greek red grape variety that deserves celebration, and what better time than the annual International Xinomavro Day on 1 November. As a contribution, this article features a terrific example. Would you please welcome Jeunes Vignes from Thymiopoulos Vineyards? It’s an “entry-level” wine that offers remarkable quality and value, the perfect introduction. Xinomavro Xinomavro means …
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Slow Wine Coalition – Good, Clean and Fair Wine
Slow Wine Coalition – Good, Clean and Fair Wine The Slow Wine Coalition is a new collaborative wine network established by the Slow Food movement*. For some years now, vanguard wineries from around the globe have understood that we must establish a wine industry upon solid environmental, ethical and social values. As a result, many sustainable initiatives are now happening …
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Le Feu, Savoie’s greatest wine – for Dominique Belluard
Le Feu, Savoie’s greatest wine – for Dominique Belluard This article is about Savoie’s most excellent white wine, Le Feu, made at Domaine Belluard. It’s written as a small memorial tribute to Dominique Belluard, pioneering owner of the Domaine. He tragically took his own life, age 55. Dominique Belluard farmed this small biodynamic estate at Ayse. It’s in the heart …
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Spanish Reds – six great examples
Spanish Reds – six great examples The Wines From Spain 2021 virtual event had no shortage of red wines. So following on from the previous article on Spanish whites is a companion piece in the same format about six great Spanish dry reds. As with the whites, there are no sweet, fortified or sparkling wines included. In addition, such is the …
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Spanish Whites – six great examples
Spanish Whites – six great examples Spain’s enormous wealth of native grape varieties, terroirs, and winegrowers means that it’s one of the most exciting countries for wine diversity, interest and value. This article covers six dry white wines chosen from the hundreds available at the annual Wines From Spain 2021 event. Furthermore, Spanish whites have emerged from the shadow of …
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SP68 Rosso by Arianna Occhipinti – serious fun
SP68 Rosso by Arianna Occhipinti – serious fun Arianna Occhipinti owns 23.5 hectares of vineyards in the southeast of Sicily, near Vittoria. Here is a beautiful land of limestone and sandy soils at around 300 metres in altitude. It’s in complete contrast to Mount Etna further north; flattish land where grapes are just one of the many fruits, and vegetables …
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Millésime BIO 2021 Organic Wine Fair
Millésime BIO 2021 Organic Wine Fair Millésime BIO 2021 takes place in Montpellier, France, from 25-27 January 2021. It will be the 28th edition of the world’s biggest Organic Wine Fair. However, this will now be held in 2021 as a Virtual Event for the first time due to continuing pandemic. WORLD ORGANIC WINE FAIR, NOW A 100% DIGITAL EVENT …
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Goldilocks. Or, drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Goldilocks. Or, drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Any opportunity to try the wines made by the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) in Burgundy is the chance of a lifetime. Not only is this celebrated patch of dirt in the village of Vosne-Romanée regarded as producing the most outstanding red Burgundy, many consider it to be the source of the world’s …
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