MonteRosola, Emerging Tuscan Star MonteRosola is a contemporary winery in the hills close to the hilltop town of Volterra in Tuscany. Volterra may be less familiar to some, so let’s start there to understand how MonteRosola and its wines fit into this delightful Tuscan landscape. Volterra claims the title, “the oldest town in Tuscany.” Indeed, it’s been continuously occupied it …
Daddy walks the lawn; the grass is getting long. The trees are looking crooked, and the bushes seem wrong. He never noticed 'til now how untidy it seems. He frowns, thinking how it looked in dreams.
© The Very Things, "The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes." 1984Rare Champagne grape varieties – this is their story
Rare Champagne grape varieties – this is their story. Under the Champagne laws, three principal grapes are allowed in Champagne, namely Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Together, they account for 99.74% of vineyard plantings. However, there are also four rare Champagne grape varieties that are tolerated. They are all white varieties: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane. …
Tedeschi and climate change – the future is at stake
Tedeschi and climate change – the future is at stake. For any Amarone lover, the name Tedeschi needs no introduction. One of the famous great Valpolicella families, with vineyards owned there since 1630. Today, Antonietta, Sabrina and Riccardo now run the Tedeschi business. They are the children of Renzo and Bruna Tedeschi. That’s some job, as there are currently 46 …
Chiesa del Carmine – an authentic taste of Umbria
Chiesa del Carmine – an authentic taste of Umbria Chiesa del Carmine is a restored estate in Umbria, some thirty minutes north of the twin delights of Perugia and Assissi. It’s near the Tuscan border, in a small limestone valley accessed from the river valley of the Upper Tiber (Fiume Tevere). This short article is about why their wines are worth …
IWCA – International Wineries for Climate Action
IWCA – International Wineries for Climate Action Wine is one of the most valuable agricultural products in the world. Now we’re witnessing the catastrophic effects of the global climate emergency. The world’s vineyards are vulnerable to an increasing amount of extreme weather events; from storms, floods, heat, fire and drought. Some marginal winegrowing regions in the world have arguably benefited thus …
Pla de Bages and its unique heritage
Pla de Bages and its unique heritage These days, Pla de Bages is a relatively obscure Spanish wine region in the heart of Catalonia, Spain. Yet winegrowing has been here since Roman times, and the word Bages comes from Bacchus, the Roman God of wine. North-west of Barçelona, this fascinating region occupies the valleys of two rivers, the Llobregat and …
Zorzettig – fighting back against Covid-19
Zorzettig – fighting back against Covid-19 Zorzettig is a well-known winery in Friuli. In these dark days of Coronavirus lockdown, it’s taking positive and practical steps to fight Covid-19. They are supporting the Hospital of Udine with the release of a limited-edition wine called Andrà Tutto Bene, which means Everything will be Alright. That phrase is on the label in eight different languages. …
Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories
Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories The Huia was a native New Zealand bird with beautiful plumage. In particular, its distinctive tail feathers, now extremely rare, were highly prized, both by the Maori and by milliners. Sadly, this species hasn’t been seen since 1907 and is now almost certainly extinct. Huia is also the name of a winery. In …
Artesano Organic Malbec/Cab Franc – Argento Redux
Artesano Organic Malbec/Cab Franc – Argento Redux Argento wines from Argentina used to be one of the mainstays of my public tastings with their Malbec. Sharply priced and with supermarket availability, it was always a crowd-pleaser. Then the Argento brand seemed to disappear. So I’m delighted to see them return to UK retail with a new brand, Artesano de Argento. …