Lugana DOC – Jewel of Lake Garda Regular readers will know of my love for Lake Garda and its multifarious wines. Garda is Italy’s largest lake, handily placed at the crossroads of European travel. Some of the wine appellations surrounding Garda feature elsewhere on these pages, each with its own identity and story. Now, it’s the turn of Lugana. This …
Kellerai Kaltern – Schiava Specialists
Kellerai Kaltern – Schiava Specialists Kellerai Kaltern (Cantina Caldaro) is the largest cooperative winery in northern Italy’s Alto Adige (Südtirol) region. It’s in Kaltern an der Weinstraβe (Caldaro sulla strada di vino). Its long name shows its proximity to Kalterersee (Lago di Caldaro), the region’s largest lake. The name also appends the regional wine route, which winds 150 km through …
Two More Bright Stars From Tenuta Stella
Two More Bright Stars From Tenuta Stella I wrote an article on Tenuta Stella in the Collio Gorizia in June 2024. This featured their excellent Malvasia Istriana wine. You can read about that here. I also promised a further article about two other wines from this excellent organic winery at that time. These are equally bright stars, namely their Friulano …
Rivera – Three Stunning Puglian Wines
Rivera – Three Stunning Puglian Wines On a recent visit to Apulia (Puglia) in Italy, I was honoured to attend the prestigious annual Radici del Sud competition, judging the wines of Southern Italy. While there, visiting the Rivera winery was a real highlight. Rivera is located in central Puglia, near Andria. Nearby is a famous local landmark, Castel del Monte. …
Amber is Gravner’s Colour: Joško Gravner, Part 3
Amber is Gravner’s Colour: Joško Gravner, Part 3 Part 1 of this article (Back to the Future) describes how Joško Gravner’s Amber wines originated. Then, Part 2 (Qvevri Revolution) delved into his revolutionary use of Qvevri, which had never been seen outside their Georgian homeland. Consequently, in Part 3 (Amber is Gravner’s Colour), it’s time to focus on the wines …
Qvevri Revolution: Joško Gravner, Part 2
Qvevri Revolution: Joško Gravner, Part 2 In Part 2 of the article on Joško Gravner, we will delve into his truly unique and revolutionary use of Qvevri. This technique wasn’t seen beyond Georgia until he adopted it in Italy. In Part 1 of this article (Back to the Future), we witnessed Joško Gravner’s remarkable resilience and innovation. After losing an …
Tenuta Stella – a Bright Star in the Collio Heavens
Tenuta Stella – a Bright Star in the Collio Heavens Tenuta Stella is a young, certified organic Italian winery. It’s in the far northeast of Italy, in the crescent-shaped Collio DOC at Dolegna. Dolegna is one of the five unofficial subzones in the Collio DOC, being closest to the Alps and featuring some of the highest elevations. It also has …
Biodynamic Bibliography – A Written Resource
Biodynamic Bibliography – A Written Resource During my wine career, I have collected (and read!) many publications about Biodynamics, some good, some not. In this Centenary Year, several readers have been in touch asking how to discover more about Biodynamics. Hence, this Biodynamic Bibliography should act as a helpful introductory resource. Biodynamics was first postulated by Rudolph Steiner in 1924. …
Joško Gravner, Part 1: Back To The Future
Joško Gravner, Part 1: Back To The Future As we approach the 100th Anniversary of Biodynamics in June 2024, I couldn’t help but wonder how best to celebrate this Centenary. But then came an invitation to visit Joško Gravner in the Collio Goriziano region of Italy, which borders Goriska Brda in Slovenia. This visit was a long-held wish from when …
Pie and Mash – an authentic taste of London
Pie and Mash – an authentic taste of London While I live ever more distant from my London birthplace, that doesn’t wholly quell its siren call. There are many things I don’t miss, but one thing I crave is Pie and Mash, proper authentic London food. There is, sadly, an ever-dwindling collection of emporia in London in which to eat …