Unblocked: the Trust Machine, Part 2 Part 1 claimed that the Blockchain is a Trust Machine. But what is it? The Blockchain has several essential elements that combine to make it a Trust Machine. The Ledger is a critical part. It’s just a database; recording transactions, assets, locations and anything else. The clever bit is that the Ledger sits on a …
Unblocked: the revolution will not be centralised, Part 1
Unblocked: the revolution will not be centralised, Part 1 Unblocked is an edited version of my business presentation about Blockchain and wine. This was made at various venues, including wine2wine in Verona: “From grape2glass – demystifying the Blockchain”. The goal was to show at a high level how Blockchain will transform the wine industry. In short, the goal was for the …
Pignoletto, Part 2: a Grechetto Gentile shopping list.
Pignoletto, Part 2: a Grechetto Gentile shopping list. Part 1 of this article explained Pignoletto and its transformation. However, (as explained as a postscript in part 1), in 2023, the newly named Pignoletto DOC was renamed again as Emilia-Romagna DOC, while Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG continues to exist. Part 2 is a companion piece focusing on examples of wines that …
Getting to grips with Pignoletto. Part 1.
Getting to grips with Pignoletto. Part 1. Welcome to Emilia-Romagna, the home of Pignoletto. Not yet well known, it’s undoubtedly up-and-coming. Part 1 of this article is about Pignoletto and where the best wines are from; which is the Colli Bolognesi area of the Emilia-Romagna region. Let’s start with Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna is a vast region comprising nine distinctive provinces brought …
Book Review: Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855
Book Review: Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855 The Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés 1855 gave official recognition to the best wines of the Médoc and Sauternes. Some 163 years later, it’s still a compelling listing, though hardly without flaws. This handsome new book about this classification claims to be the essential reference for wine aficionados. Does it live up to this billing? …
Wine of the Year 2017 – Gini Salvarenza
Wine of the Year 2017 – Gini Salvarenza – Soave’s Montrachet My Wine of the Year (WOTY) 2017 is Gini Salvarenza, Vecchie Vigne, Soave Classico, DOC 2014 13.5% Fanfare, please! Introducing Gini The Gini family have been winegrowers at Monteforte d’Alpone in Soave since 1600. These days, brothers Sandro and Claudio Gini run their 55-hectare estate. They own some of the …
Book Review: Wine Revolution by Jane Anson
Book Review: Wine Revolution by Jane Anson Wine Revolution by Jane Anson contains “The World’s Best Organic, Biodynamic and Natural wines”. When I started to focus on this subject a decade and more ago, such wines were dismissed by conventional wisdom. According to this, they employed daft doctrines. Furthermore, they were only from a handful of winegrowers that had lost …
wine2wine Verona – No Dry Ice or Flying Pigs
wine2wine Verona – No Dry Ice or Flying Pigs I’ve recently returned from wine2wine Verona. As previewed here, it lived up to its billing as a leading forum for the wine business worldwide. What makes a great conference? What makes a great Conference? I reckon that the following essentials are on anybody’s list: Learning something new that can make a positive …
A brilliant Winemaker Dinner in the Alto Adige
A brilliant Winemaker Dinner in the Alto Adige One of the best Winemaker Dinners that I’ve been to was earlier this year in the Alto Adige (Südtirol), where Italian and German cultures meld together. The Winemaker Dinner took place in the town of Merano, some 30 kilometres north of Bolzano in Italy at the “Ansitz Plantitscherhof”. It’s one of the 29 …
Book Review: Where to Drink Coffee
Book Review: Where to Drink Coffee Billed as the unfiltered truth about the best brew, Where to Drink Coffee is newly published. Authors Liz Clayton and Avidan Ross claim that this is the Expert’s Guide to the best coffee in the world. It’s one of Phaidon’s range of hipster books, with an eye for attractive design and heavyweight paper. Other …