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 …
Wines for Christmas 2017 – six of the best
Wines for Christmas 2017 – six of the best What are my Wines for Christmas 2017? ‘Tis the season. Last year I featured 12 wines, all of which I continue to recommend. This year I’m treating the topic a little differently. There are only six wines on my list. Reducing a long list down to only six is way harder than to …
The Born Digital Wine Awards 2017: in it to win it
The Born Digital Wine Awards 2017: in it to win it This year, I was on the shortlist for these awards by Wine in Moderation. It’s an annual global award programme for wine writers and photographers, with various categories. As a rule, I don’t enter competitions. However, I was asked to join in after the interest shown in my first piece …
Scotch Missed. Talisker 10-year-old single malt whisky
Scotch Missed. Talisker 10-year-old single malt whisky On a summer trip to the Isle of Skye, the weather was typical. The rain began as soon as we crossed the Skye Bridge from Kyle-of-Lochalsh. Even the SatNag was defeated. There were soaking sheets of horizontal rain and thick fog all at once. Temperatures felt not far from freezing. Couldn’t see a …
Legendary wines from Gérard Gauby
Legendary wines from Gérard Gauby Domaine Gauby, Calce, Agly valley, Roussillon, France Domaine Gauby is on the slopes of the rugged Agly valley in southern France. It’s inland from Perpignan, near a hamlet called Calce. This valley does not possess a specific wine appellation. Instead, it relies on the vast Côtes du Roussillon for red wines or the Côtes Catalanes …
Mountain Nebbiolo, Valtellina Part 2, Producers
Mountain Nebbiolo, Valtellina Part 2, Producers In Part 1 of Mountain Nebbiolo covered the extraordinary wine region of Valtellina. First, there’s spectacular scenery. Also, it makes a compelling expression of Nebbiolo. These wines stand easily with their more famous and expensive brothers from Barolo and Barbaresco. Meanwhile, the Sforzato is a unique style of Nebbiolo. Valtellina wines are always worth tracking down. …
The Alto Adige Wine Summit – Live At The Witch Trials
The Alto Adige Wine Summit – Live At The Witch Trials I recently attended the first Alto Adige Wine Summit, based in Bolzano, in Italy’s mountainous far north. Part of the activities included the most memorable wine event I’ve ever been to, the Wine in the Mountains tasting. It was in the Dolomites that tower over Bolzano, at over 2,000 metres. …
The Story of Tai Rosso in the Colli Berici. Part 2, the Producers
The Story of Tai Rosso in the Colli Berici. Part 2, the Producers While Part 1 of this article was about the Colli Berici DOC and its unique grape, Part 2 covers five producers making authentic Tai Rosso wines in various styles. These five examples demonstrate the potential of this land for high-quality wine production. Also, they all make excellent, contrasting …