This was my first time in Etna. It’s a remarkable place: a wine region in the shadow of Europe’s largest volcano, and one that is still very much active. The volcano dominates the place: wherever you are, you sense it; you are aware of it. People here are in touch with the value of life,… Read More »
Seppeltsfield, founded in the Barossa in 1851 and boasting an uninterrupted heritage of stored single vintage tawny since 1878, has been open about its goal to market its century-old wines for the emerging luxury market. The alliance with Riedel represents the most recent in a number of initiatives to bring renewed awareness to its unique… Read More »
Website: http://www.casademouraz.com/en/ Back in 2000, Sara Dionísio and António Ribeiro left their jobs in Lisbon to become full-time winegrowers in the Dão region, with a commitment to farm organically. In 2006 they took things a step further, working in biodynamics – one of Portugal’s pioneers of this farming approach. They have vineyards located in several… Read More »
Wojciech Bońkowski became the first Master of Wine from Poland in 2023, in addition to having many other titles and credentials like a PhD in musicology. Bońkowski’s journey as a wine writer started in 1999, and by 2012, he chose to make it his full-time career with the introduction of his online wine magazine, Winicjatywa… Read More »
How can winegrowers hope to maintain stylistic continuity as the climate crisis deepens? By David Schildknecht David Schildknecht contemplates the numerous methods available to winegrowers struggling with the substantial shifts and obstacles brought about by climate change, discovering that many of the practical lessons obtained have widespread relevance beyond the vineyard. Handling climate disruption is… Read More »
Margaret Rand meets the Etna winemaker. By Margaret Rand How did Federico Graziani, the child of an accountant and a shopkeeper, become a champion sommelier and a star Etna winemaker? Margaret Rand finds out. A butcher walked into a bar… This should be the start of a joke. What would the punchline be? “And the… Read More »
The whisky has been maturing at the Speyside distillery since 1974, initially in a bourbon barrel and then in refill hogshead. Twelve bottles will be released on the blockchain-enabled marketplace, each priced at €40,000 (£34,000) plus VAT. Each bottle represents one of the 12 essential elements that underpin The Glenlivet: Air, Angel Share, Barley, Cooper,… Read More »
Germaine Santallier is a youthful wine grower in Beaujolais. His work experience includes stints with Marie-Thérèze Chappaz in Switzerland, then Jean-Claude Lapalu in Beaujolais. A twist of fate caused by the death of his father pressured Germaine to takeover the family’s 7-hectare vineyard, he was just 19 at that time. His first-ever wine vintage was… Read More »
Bellingham holds an influential position in South Africa’s winery culture, both traditionally and currently. Despite a production of just over 1000 tons each vintage, it successfully strikes a balance between more commercial, widely available offerings, and also crafting more refined wines that are still well distributed. The journey of Bellingham starts with Bernard Podlashuk. In… Read More »
The best wines for a divisive and strong-scented French dish. By Joanna Simon It is almost a badge of honour in France to assert a strong preference for andouillettes. If you lack affection for them, the implication is that you’re neither truly French nor a genuine Francophile. However, among Francophiles, there are few foods more… Read More »