Le Fraghe – a delightful Bardolino, any time Regular readers will know that recent articles have been exploring around the shores of Lake Garda – virtually, of course, as travel hasn’t been possible. Those wanting to catch up with these can find pink wine from Chiaretto di Bardolino and whites from Custoza and Lugana, all of which are DOC wine regions. But …
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 some years now, vanguard wineries from around the globe have understood that we must establish a wine industry upon solid environmental, ethical and social values. As a result, many sustainable initiatives are now happening …
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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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Summer Pudding – a classic dessert
Summer Pudding – a classic dessert Summer Pudding is a classic dessert for the British summer. Here’s a super-easy recipe that makes a Summer Pudding serving six, inspired by Jane Grigson’s Fruit Book – which is a great read. Redcurrants and Blackcurrants are the two essential soft fruits for Summer Pudding. If you have a handful of Whitecurrants, Loganberries, Raspberries, Tayberries …
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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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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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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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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 …
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