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 presented by the Consorzio. An interactive map below shows the locations of the featured producers, while …
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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 …
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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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Ushas – Rosenmuskateller and visions of the Divine
Ushas – Rosenmuskateller and visions of the divine The Kellerai Kurtasch (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, …
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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 …
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Cantina Tramin and their path to Alpine wines
Cantina Tramin and their path to Alpine wines Cantina Tramin is one of the leading wine producers in the Alto Adige (Südtirol) region of northeast Italy. This co-operative is in the village of Tramin (Termeno), comprising some 190 member families farming 260 hectares of vines, some of which are now organic. In this mountainous region, individual family holdings are frequently …
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Passorosso – the quintessential Etna Rosso
Passorosso – the quintessential Etna Rosso Mount Etna, while never quiescent, has recently had the most violent eruptions of the past fifty years, as this spectacular video shows. Yet as my previous articles about Etna demonstrate, this destructive power is also lifegiving. Today, Etna produces magnificent wines from its unique vineyards. Etna’s reputation has become re-established over the last twenty years, and …
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Oxney Organic Estate Rosé, English Sparkling Wine
Oxney Organic Estate Rosé, English Sparkling Wine Oxney is Britains largest single organic wine estate on the River Rother in East Sussex, six miles north of Rye’s historic and charming port. That means it’s also in the High Weald, a designated Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty. Oxney is also certified organic by the Soil Association. Indeed, this organic mixed farm …
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