Le Fornaci – an exciting Lugana white wine from Tommasi Le Fornaci is an ongoing wine project by the Tommasi family. It’s in the Lugana DOC on the southern tip of Lake Garda. Gradually, this project has come to fruition, and the latest 2020 release is a beauty. (Update – so is 2021). Here’s why. Tommasi Tommasi is arguably so …
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 years, leading wineries worldwide have recognised that we must build a wine industry on solid environmental, ethical, and social values. As a result, many sustainable initiatives are now happening at the winery, appellation, and …
Tintilia – drinking the Hilltop Grape of Molise
Tintilia – drinking the Hilltop Grape of Molise. Tintilia is an Italian native red grape variety that comes from the region of Molise. Despite this variety being of high quality, it became abandoned because it had low productivity when quantity was vital to survival. Besides, constant rural depopulation and the second world war’s devastations helped hasten its demise. However, now that …
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 …
The Knot of Love and Custoza DOC wines, Part 2
The Knot of Love and Custoza DOC wines, Part 2 Part 1 of this article looked at Custoza DOC and the reasons influencing the taste and quality of its dry white wines. Now Part 2 puts that to the test with six representative Custoza DOC wines with prices and stockists. Finally, there are food matching suggestions, including The Knot of Love. The …
Custoza celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Part 1
Custoza celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Part 1. The Custoza DOC covers the white wines made on Lake Garda’s eastern Venetian shore. It’s centred on the small village of Custoza, which is just to the west of Verona. This DOC overlaps and shares some boundaries with the Bardolino (red) and Chiaretto di Bardolino (rosé) DOC. It dates from 1971, renaming it …
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 …
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 …
Ushas – Rosenmuskateller and visions of the Divine
Ushas – Rosenmuskateller and visions of the divine The Kellerei Kurtatsch (Cantina Cortaccia) is one of those magnificent Alto Adige wine co-operatives, focusing on sustainability in the vineyard and the winery. Founded in 1900, its 190 hectares of vineyards rise to 900 metres in this alpine terroir on steep slopes that welcome the sunrise. As is usual in these parts, …
Pojer e Sandri Merlino – an Italian Unicorn
Pojer e Sandri Merlino – an Italian Unicorn Pojer e Sandri is a Trentino winery owned by oenologist Mario Pojer and viticulturalist Fiorentino Sandri. This famous boutique estate started in 1975 with just two hectares. Four decades on, they have 26 hectares of organically certified vines. They make a wide range of acclaimed wines and also have a distillery. This article …