International Sherry Week, 4-10 November 2024 Once again, International Sherry Week occurs between 4-10 November 2024. Let’s celebrate Spain’s great gift to the world! There are the floral delights of a chilled Manzanilla or Fino. Or try the nutty notes of an Amontillado and Oloroso. Add the umami flavours of Palo Cortado or the sweet caramel of PX. There’s a …
Limoncello? How to make it yourself
Limoncello? How to make it yourself Shout out if you don’t like Limoncello. *silence* I thought so. Limoncello Limoncello is an Italian lemon digestivo, produced in Italy wherever lemons grow. Its origins are probably around the Amalfi Coast of Campania, south of Napoli. There, the large oval and sweet Sorrento lemon called Femminello Santa Teresa has a zest unusually high …
Pisa – Stay and Explore at Badia di Morrona
Pisa – Stay and Explore at Badia di Morrona The Badia di Morrona winery near Pisa has been featured previously on this website for some excellent red wines. The first article concentrated on I Sodi del Paretaio, two Chianti DOCG wines. Then, the second piece featured their flagship wine, VignaAlta. This latter red wine is a Tuscan gem, the best …
Gravner New Solutions Announcement
Gravner New Solutions Announcement In Part 2 of my previous three-part article about Joško Gravner, published over the summer of 2024, I mentioned that Gravner was experimenting with new maturation technologies to complement his use of Qvevri amphorae. However, a promise was not to reveal these commercially sensitive details until Gravner’s formal announcement. Hence, today’s press release officially heralds these …
Lugana DOC – Jewel of Lake Garda
Lugana DOC – Jewel of Lake Garda Regular readers will know of my love for Lake Garda and its multifarious wines. Garda is Italy’s largest lake, handily placed at the crossroads of European travel. Some of the wine appellations surrounding Garda feature elsewhere on these pages, each with its own identity and story. Now, it’s the turn of Lugana. This …
Kellerai Kaltern – Schiava Specialists
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …