Introducing Port – it’s not one drink

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Portugal, Sustainability

Vargellas 2008 visit to Taylor's

Introducing Port – it’s not one drink. Port is a quintessentially British drink, yet it comes in many guises and can be confusing. Port is an entire category of wines rather than one drink. Sales of Port remain stubbornly seasonal, although it’s good at any time of year. However, peak Port is Christmas, which naturally gets the most commercial attention. …

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Chocolate Cake from Gascony with Maydie

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Food, France, Recipes, Sustainability

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake from Gascony with Maydie Here’s an adaptation of a chocolate cake recipe by French Chef Marie-Claude Garcia, in the village of Poudenas in Gascony, Southwest France. This cake resembles a big chocolate brownie, while the secret weapon here is the inclusion of Sea Salt*, which adds a whole new dimension. This cake also improves if left to mature over several …

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Organic Rosé by Artesano de Argento

Paul Howard Argentina, Articles, Blog, Organic, Sustainability

Artesano de Argento Organic Rosé

Organic Rosé by Artesano de Argento Regular readers will know that the Argento Winery of Argentina has appeared in the pages before, firstly with their Organic Malbec/Cabernet Franc and then their single-vineyard Finca Altamira. Now for their Organic Rosé, in a UK launch perfectly timed for our current summer heatwave. It’s labelled as a single-variety Malbec, although strictly speaking, it’s a blend of …

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Monte del Frà – a preview of five new wine releases

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Sustainability, Wine Business

Monte del Frà

Monte del Frà – a preview of five new wine releases Monte del Frà is a family winery in Sommacampagna, between Lake Garda and Verona. They are highly regarded, and rightly so, for a wide range of wines of excellent quality and value. While some of these wines have been featured on Wine Alchemy previously, this article previews five new …

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25 years of Wine Alchemy – the first article redux

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Wine Business

25 Years of Wine Alchemy

25 years of Wine Alchemy – the first article redux Executive Summary 25 years! Early in 1998, the Wine Alchemy brand was inflicted on an unsuspecting world. In short, I’ve taken this extravagant journey So it seems to me I just came from nowhere And I’m going straight back there* . A (slightly) Longer Version This was in the early days …

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Passive Cooking saves energy, CO2 and money

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Climate Emergency, Italy, Sustainability

Passive Cooking by Barilla

about Passive cooking saves energy, CO2 and money. Passive cooking isn’t sitting and watching TV while someone else cooks dinner for you. No matter how much you might want it to be. Instead, it’s a thoughtful response to the Energy Crisis, subsequently developed as an ad campaign by pasta makers Barilla and then picked up by the press and media*. Sure, Barilla is promoting …

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The Cost of Living Crisis Case, Festive Season 2022

Paul Howard Articles, Biodynamic, Blog, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Organic, Spain, Sparkling Wine, Sustainability

Cost of Living

The Cost of Living Crisis Case, Festive Season 2022 I hope you like my Christmas card! Everyone knows we’re in a cost-of-living crisis, so this situation has affected my wine recommendations for the festive season. We all want to celebrate and enjoy ourselves, but in a cost-conscious way. What is a wine-lover to do? A real price cap Hence, for …

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Le Serre Nuove dell’ Ornellaia 2020

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Sustainability

Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia

Le Serre Nuove dell’ Ornellaia 2020 Le Serre Nuove dell’ Ornellaia is sometimes known as LSN. It’s the official “second wine” of the now iconic Ornellaia estate. They say it’s “made with the same passion and attention to detail as Ornellaia; it reflects the estate’s pedigree”.*  Does it live up to this billing? Let’s travel together to the Bolgheri region of Tuscany …

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Beronia Rioja – an historic wine tasting

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Spain, Sustainability

Matías Calleja, Bodegas Beronia, Rioja Alta

Beronia Rioja – an historic wine tasting Sometimes readers ask why Rioja doesn’t feature more frequently on these pages – it’s the most famous and well-loved Spanish wine region, with classically styled wines that are rightly popular. Indeed, Rioja is synonymous with Spanish wine and inextricably linked with Spanish culture and cuisine. But here’s part of the reason right there. …

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Cantina Toblino Vènt project – a different kind of tension

Paul Howard Articles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sparkling Wine, Sustainability

Cantina Toblino Vènt Project Wines

Cantina Toblino Vènt project – a different kind of tension Cantina Toblino was recently awarded the Wine Alchemy WOTY 2021. This was for their sweet dessert wine, Trentino Vino Santo DOC. You can read all about this here. However, as we’ll see, this isn’t the only terrific wine they make. Thanks to their Vènt Project, there are several new wine stars, all …

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