A wine lover’s guide to the classic French duck dish. By Joanna Simon Joanna Simon explores the history and preparation of confit de canard, before picking out the best wines to drink with this classic dish from South West France. “In some ways confit is less a recipe than a way of life.” So wrote… Read More »
The 2021 vintage brought a sigh of relief to winemakers on the ‘authentic’ Sonoma Coast. This year saw an impressive recovery from the tragic and deadly 2020, besought by wildfires and a sweeping pandemic. Exceptional concentration, bountiful yields, and near-perfect clusters collectively contributed to the joyful conclusion of 2021. The phenomenon of a third straight… Read More »
Website: https://alegrevalganon.com/ These Alegre Valagñón wines left me blown away. The winery started in 2014, and it’s owned by a husband and wife-duo, Oscar Alegre and Eva Valagñón. They were initially agricultural engineers who fell in love while studying the art of winemaking in Italy. Their winery is nestled west of Haro, near the Obarenes… Read More »
Tony Edwards’ conscientious new book takes aim at the Prohibitionist turn in public health messaging on alcohol. By Dr Erik Skovenborg Dr Erik Skovenborg reviews The Very Good News about Wineby Tony Edwards. The small size of The Very Good News about Wine belies the sheer volume of information to be found on its 171… Read More »
An ‘electronic tongue’ exceeded human perception in a test examining early detection of deterioration or flaws in white wine, according to researchers in a recently conducted study. In an experiment conducted at Washington State University (WSU), it was found that the e-tongue could identify certain microbial presence within a week of contamination – this was… Read More »
Website: http://vinacerron.com/ Jumilla is a wine region in the southeast of Spain, in the province of Murcia. The climate here is hot and the main grape is Monastreall (also known as Mourvèdre). The early arrival of winegrowing in this region can be credited to the Phoenicians, and the practice was continued by the Romans. The… Read More »
Once a skeptic, Tom Stevenson has come to love his home country’s dramatically improved wines. By Tom Stevenson Tom Stevenson tells the story of his conversion to English wine, and picks some of the best bottles he has tasted over the past 12 months. There was a time when I certainly considered all English wine… Read More »
‘I worry about the younger generation,’ Gallica owner and winemaker Rosemary Cakebread confessed. ‘It’s tough for young individuals in Napa to afford a house, much less a vineyard.’ ‘Should you possess any desire to work independently, you’ll require family investments or supporters. Without the incoming generation, we risk losing traditional agriculture.’ She has a point.… Read More »
Fausto José dos Santos Júnior (1903-1975), a notable poet, was born in Aldeia de Cima in the Douro. This niche venture is spearheaded by his grandchild Nuno Santos and Nuno’s wife Gabriela. The Santos family owns vineyards in Douro: The primary source of white vines is a 2.5 ha expanse at 620 m in Aldeia… Read More »
Recently, the newly inaugurated Al Condominio restaurant in the northern Italian city of Verona announced that it will provide ‘a bottle of good wine’ to diners who are willing to temporarily hand over their mobile phones. This is in an effort to facilitate the customers to focus on the pleasure of the food and the… Read More »