Category Archives: Blog

Greystone in North Canterbury, New Zealand, has garnered attention for its innovative approaches to winemaking, particularly under the leadership of its winemaker Dom Maxwell and viticulturist Liam Burgess. The estate covers 120 hectares, with 40 hectares dedicated to vines, primarily composed of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. They transitioned to organic farming… Read More »

Georgia is home to one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world, with a legacy of approximately 8,000 years. The country, richly endowed with over 400 indigenous grape varieties and nine distinct wine regions, has developed unique winemaking techniques, including the ancient practice of fermenting wines in qvevri—traditional clay vessels. The recent tasting event… Read More »

Corofin stands out as one of the most captivating wine ventures in Marlborough, New Zealand. Co-founded by Mike and Anna Paterson, the project aims to present the Marlborough narrative through the lens of organically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from various unique terroirs. Their inaugural vintage was in 2012, and since then, the Patersons have… Read More »

At the Table: Carbonada Criolla Joanna Simon explores the Argentinian dish carbonada criolla, a hearty beef and vegetable stew deeply rooted in the country’s cultural heritage. While Argentina has two prominent stews, locro and carbonada criolla, it’s the latter that is featured in gaucho literature, particularly in José Hernández’s epic poem El Gaucho Martín Fierro.… Read More »

As wildfires threaten the wine industry, the focus has typically been on the destructive aftermath, but there’s a larger question that warrants discussion: Can wine regions develop strategies to protect themselves and the surrounding communities from wildfires? Napa Valley serves as a case study for this hopeful perspective. Following the catastrophic fires of 2017 and… Read More »

Kirk Bray and Paul Pujol, two classmates from a wine program at Lincoln in 1999, began scouting potential vineyard sites in Waipara. They got their start when Kirk’s girlfriend introduced him to an opportunity to acquire land from an old sheep farm. Paul bought two paddocks but sold them when he relocated to Alsace. This… Read More »

Gallo, the largest wine company in the world, operates three of the biggest wineries globally, located in California. Despite not typically inviting journalists for tours, their extensive facilities can be explored using Google Earth. The company, which dropped the "E&J" from its name in 2024, runs a bottling and shipping winery in Modesto, along with… Read More »

Langham Wine Estate: An Evolution in Sparkling Wine In the picturesque chalk and flint country of Dorset, Langham Wine Estate has emerged as a notable player in the fine sparkling wine scene. Established by Justin Langham and his team, including head winemaker Tommy Grimshaw, the estate has transformed an initial skepticism into a thriving wine… Read More »

I have been thoroughly impressed with the wines crafted by Leo Sommer, particularly those from his Sommer Blaufränkisch 2020, a notable blend from the Leithaberg region of Burgenland, Austria. Recently, I had the pleasure of enjoying this wine at a local restaurant called Das Fritz, where it truly shone. The Sommer Blaufränkisch 2020 is characterized… Read More »

2024 Chablis stands out as a vintage marked by charm, liveliness, and a distinct salinity, despite the adverse weather conditions it faced. The narrative surrounding this vintage was initially colored by a devastating hailstorm, persistent mildew, and an overcast summer, leading many to assume the quality would be compromised. However, those who tried the wines… Read More »