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 …
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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. …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Tenuta Argentiera – You Got The Silver
Tenuta Argentiera – You Got The Silver Tenuta Argentiera is in Bolgheri DOC, a winery in Tuscany at the top of the fine wine podium. From seemingly nowhere, Bolgheri enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame. That was during this century, though now-fêted pioneers sowed the seeds some decades before. Bolgheri is one of several places in Italy where Bordeaux grape …
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Morellino di Scansano and Cantina Vignaioli
Morellino di Scansano and Cantina Vignaioli What’s in a name? Morellino di Scansano is in Tuscany’s deep southwest, occupying the central Maremma close to the coast. Much of this area was once wild malarial marshland before humans drained it. So, it was more suitable for horses, cattle, and sheep than vines. This was a poor area with relatively few inhabitants. …
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Vajra Barolo DOCG – Part Two, Red Roses for Me
Vajra Barolo DOCG – Part Two, Red Roses for Me Part One of this article on G.D. Vajra introduced their estate and focused on their Langhe varietal red wines: Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa. In Part Two, the focus shifts to feature three Vajra Barolo Cru wines. Each is a different expression of this famous DOCG from the 2019 vintage. As …
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