The Burgundy winemaker who had to leave home in order to return. By Margaret Rand Laurent Delaunay tells Margaret Rand how he made a success of exile in the Languedoc before reclaiming the family name and business in Burgundy. There used to be a party game called, I think, Twister; it involved a large mat… Read More »

Website: https://www.tenutasanguido.com/en First released in 2000, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot really impresses. It’s bright and ageworthy, grown on soils with high limestone content at 100-300m. Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2022 IGT Toscana, Italy13.5% alcohol. This is taut and fresh and speaks of its Tuscan origins perhaps more than its varietal make-up, which… Read More »

In the second part of his Cypriot journey, Paul White tastes the wines of the producers making the most of the country’s rediscovered indigenous grape varieties. By Paul White Cyprus has its share of modernist glass and concrete box wineries. The most dramatic is the newly opened Marathatra, literally knife-edged architecture perched precariously on a… Read More »

Just returning from India. Even though I traveled in Economy class, my status still grants me lounge access and I was pleasantly surprised by facilities and offerings in the lounge. On my return journey, I had a layover at Hamad International Airport in Doha. The champagne served was Lanson, which I have reviewed and liked… Read More »

Tales of the Macallan Volume II was created in 1949 and it remained maturing for more than seven decades before it was finally bottled in 2022. This uniquely uncommon single malt is a tribute to Alexander Reid, the man who established the distillery in Speyside back in 1824. Just 344 bottles of this scotch have… Read More »

Website: https://chateaupesquie.com/en/welcome/ The Chaudière family cultivate 100 hectares of vineyards in Ventoux. Located in the village of Mormoiron, in the heart of Ventoux, the current generation, Alexandre and Frédéric Chaudière, tend to these vineyards following biodynamic methods. This vineyard is one of the top and most significant domains in Ventoux. I had the pleasure of… Read More »

Website: https://extonparkvineyard.com/ Exton Park Blanc de Noirs 2014 Hampshire, England11.5% alcohol. Pinot Noir, 7 years on lees, disgorged in 2022. This is tart and bright with keen lemony acidity high in the mix. There’s some green apple and cherry here alongside the lemon and lime fruit, and some rhubarb, with subtle bready, toasty complexity. Flirting… Read More »

Eric Zwiebel MS, wine director at the Michelin-starred Samling Hotel in Windermere in the UK’s Lake District, gives his expert opinion on the current state of vinous play in Austria. By Eric Zwiebel MS As a sommelier, what is your view of Austrian wine in the restaurant context? Having worked in various restaurants across the… Read More »

Unveiling of plans for the new exclusive club, Domus Artium Reserve, dedicated to exquisite wines and gastronomy, happened at the one-star Michelin Cracco restaurant, in Milan, late last month. The project involves esteemed culinary figures such as Carlo Cracco, Yannik Allenò from his self-named three-star Michelin restaurant located in Paris, in addition to Thomas Keller,… Read More »

Website: https://domaine-souleyrol.com/ Souleyrol is a splendid property located in Ventoux. It’s a diversified farm bearing cherries, olives, apricots, table grapes, truffle trees, and of course, wine grapes. The third-generation famer, Renaud Veyrier, had gravitated towards bottling wines. Previously, their wine grapes were contributed to the cooperative. Having a history of making wine for the family… Read More »