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 …
A fabulous visit to Domaine Orenga de Gaffory
A fabulous visit to Domaine Orenga de Gaffory Domaine Orenga de Gaffory covers 56 hectares in the appellation of Patrimonio in northern Corsica. This family-owned wine estate is also undergoing organic conversion. It owns many small plots in five different communes. It means they have a broad range of red, rosé and white AOC Patrimonio wines. They also make the nearby …
Losing My Extra-Virginity in Corsica: Oltremonti Olive Oil
Losing My Extra-Virginity in Corsica: Oltremonti Olive Oil I love Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, (or EVOO for short). However, I knew little about making it and less about how to taste it. Losing my Extra-Virginity was overdue. Hence I visited Domaine Oltremonti recently. Oltremonti is near Bastia, in northern Corsica, between the wild high Maquis and the coast. The Domaine has 35 …
I Veroni Chianti Rùfina Riserva – verticale
I Veroni Chianti Rùfina Riserva – verticale Chianti DOCG has seven subzones, and Chianti Rùfina (pronounced, in my best London accent, Roo-fina) is arguably the best of these. It’s a small enclave of 1,000 hectares and probably accounts for only about 3% of all Chianti production. Perhaps it’s the only Chianti subzone to rival Classico consistently in the quality of …
Dry Riesling reveals the Terroir at Martin Tesch
Dry Riesling reveals the Terroir at Martin Tesch Dr Martin Tesch owns Weingut Tesch in the Nahe region of Germany. The estate has been family-owned since 1723, while the vineyards date back to Medieval times. These days, dry Riesling rules here. Tesch is a microbiologist by training but a winegrower by inclination. In 1996, he took over the estate from …
Ca La Bionda Casal Vegri is one excellent Valpolicella
Ca La Bionda Casal Vegri is one excellent Valpolicella Recently, I returned from an inspirational trip to Valpolicella. Amarone has firmly re-established the reputation of this region. But what of Valpolicella itself, a lighter red wine made from the same grape varieties as Amarone? If you want an excellent example, try Ca La Bionda Casal Vegri. The Valpolicella challenge Valpolicella can …
Franco Manca Revisited – great authentic pizza
Franco Manca Revisited – great authentic pizza. Where can you find great pizza? Originally from Napoli, Pizza has travelled the world as a street food staple. However, in doing so, it became much traduced. Napoli finally introduced a law protecting traditional pizza by specifying the ingredients and cooking methods. Fortunately, there is also great pizza in the UK. One such purveyor …
Masi Tupungato Passo Doble 2011
Masi Tupungato Passo Doble, Malbec/Corvina, Mendoza, Argentina, 2011. 13.5%, organic Masi is a heavyweight Italian producer making a superb range of wines. These include classics such as Soave, Valpolicella, and Amarone. The company expanded into Argentina and created Passo Doble in 1999. It comes from the Mendoza region at their high-altitude Vigneti La Arboleda vineyard; 140 hectares overlooked by the …