G.D.Vajra Part One, with Three Langhe Reds The G.D. Vajra winery is one of the great Barolo addresses. It lies at Vergne, the highest community in the Barolo DOCG, towering over Barolo town, three km away. Indeed, one of their best vineyards is nearby, the famous Bricco Viole (the Violet Hill), the westernmost and highest Barolo cru vineyard, at 497m. …
Vegetarian Haggis – It’s Not so Offal
Vegetarian Haggis – It’s Not so Offal Vegetarian Haggis? A contradiction in terms. Hold on, not so fast. In the early 1990s, while staying in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, we happened by chance on Macsween’s butcher’s shop. It was there that the late John Macsween built his reputation as a premier Haggis maker. On entering, we discovered his Vegetarian …
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Peter Zemmer Riesling and Pinot Noir
Peter Zemmer Riesling and Pinot Noir A recent Wine Alchemy article introduced Weingut Peter Zemmer from the Alto Adige (Südtirol) region of Italy. It featured his “cru” Pinot Grigio Riserva called Giatl. Rather than reprise that piece here, suffice to say that the Peter Zemmer operation is a family-owned winery in the south of the region, at Cortina ssdv. As is typical …
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Peter Zemmer, “Giatl” – A Unique Pinot Grigio Riserva
Peter Zemmer, “Giatl” – A Unique Pinot Grigio Riserva Heading north on the A22 (Autostrada del Brennero), you’ll arrive in the Alto Adige (Südtirol) region of NE Italy. In this southernmost part, fruit trees and vines flank the motorway. Here lies the pretty and tranquil village of Cortina ssdv, or Cortina sulla Strada del Vino. It’s the smallest village on …
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Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories
Huia Blanc de Blancs and Marlborough Memories The Huia was a native New Zealand bird with beautiful plumage. In particular, its distinctive tail feathers, now extremely rare, were highly prized, both by the Maori and by milliners. Sadly, this species hasn’t been seen since 1907 and is now almost certainly extinct. Huia is also the name of a winery. In …
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Altanza Rioja – Rioja Crianza and Reserva
Altanza – Rioja Crianza and Reserva Bodegas Altanza makes fine examples of Rioja made in the modern style. Massive investment in wine growing is now producing wines that highlight fresh fruit flavours rather than the traditional oak-dominant wines of yore. Neither is necessarily better; it’s great to have a choice. Altanza is a relatively young company, established in the heart of Rioja …
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Biodynamics. Making saving our planet taste better. Part 1 of 3
Biodynamics. Part 1 of 3: Koyaanisqatsi Recently, I was asked to republish my articles introducing Biodynamics (or BD, for short). Pol Roger published parts of these. Biodynamics is an agricultural philosophy that offers a radically different approach to agriculture. With wine, this means the farming of grapes. I first encountered BD over a decade ago. Then it was regarded as an …
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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 …
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