Category Archives: Blog

Constellation Brands is reportedly considering selling its entire wine portfolio, following a significant slump in sales. The company, based in New York and owner of over 100 brands—including well-known names like Robert Mondavi and Meiomi—has encountered difficulties in its wine division in recent years. Recent reports indicate that wine sales fell by 14% year-on-year during… Read More »

Straight from Macau, where I recently spent five days judging at the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards 2025, I had the opportunity to watch the documentary Waking the Sleeping Grape. This film explores the remarkable rise of the Chinese wine industry, featuring interviews with prominent figures both from within China and internationally. Directed by Shanghai… Read More »

Julien Boulard, a Master of Wine based in China, recently held a seminar dedicated to Marselan, a grape variety he has researched extensively during his 15 years of conducting masterclasses in Chinese. Having lived in China for over two decades and visited more than 100 wineries, Boulard emphasized the significance of Marselan as a key… Read More »

This narrative explores the two distinct vineyards on the Twenty Mile Bench in Canada’s Niagara Peninsula: Foxcroft and Wingfield. Renowned for producing exciting Chardonnay, these vineyards tell a compelling story of terroir and viniculture. During my initial visit to Canada in 2022, I was captivated by the evolving narrative of terroir across the Niagara Peninsula,… Read More »

Archaeologists in Pompeii have made a remarkable find: a large frieze illustrating the ecstatic worship of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. This grand artwork, which graces the three walls of an elaborate banquet hall, captures lively scenes of women paying homage to the deity. According to experts, this fresco sheds new light on the… Read More »

Wine regions from Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, France, Hungary, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States have united to form the Global Artisan Vintners Alliance. This collaboration aims to help wineries in each region address common challenges, exchange best practices, and enhance the quality of their wines. The concept for this alliance originated from David Haubert, the… Read More »

As part of the 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards, judges participated in seminars focusing on China’s two premier wine regions—Ningxia and Xinjiang. The session, led by Xing Wei, China’s newest Master of Wine, highlighted his extensive explorations of these regions, including eight visits to Ningxia and a challenging 15-day tour of Xinjiang. China’s wine-producing… Read More »

Miguel Crunia, a Galician sommelier and co-director of Fìon, a wine merchant specializing in low-intervention wines from Spain and Portugal, reflects on his journey in the wine world. With 11 years of experience managing fine dining in Edinburgh, Crunia has cultivated a deep appreciation for wines, particularly those from Atlantic regions. My First Memorable Wine… Read More »

In the past thirty years, South Africa has made significant strides in winemaking since the end of apartheid. Despite its evolution into one of the most dynamic wine-producing countries in the world, South Africa still struggles with organic viticulture, lagging behind European counterparts. Alex Dale, co-founder of Radford Dale, has taken a prominent role in… Read More »