LOG IN · CART
Articles
Photo by Malu Lambert

From Cape Chianti to hero: Grenache in South Africa

by  |  26-10-2020

“I grew up with Grenache,” shares South African wine legend, Jan Boland Coetzee. His pale blue eyes focused on the verdant Swartland hills from our vantage point on Adi Badenhorst’s porch. The crops and vines... more » “I grew up with Grenache,” shares South African wine legend, Jan Boland... more »

The DO Montsant 2020 harvest comes to a close

by  |  23-10-2020

Essentially all the vineyards within the DO Montsant have been picked this year. According to their official statistics, only a handful in the north are still to arrive so in effect, the harvest has closed.... more » Essentially all the vineyards within the DO Montsant have been picked this... more »

In The Glass: Clau de Nell – Grolleau 2011

by  |  21-10-2020

I adore grape variety summaries such as these: “Widely planted though little recognized”. Where some may see that as meaning a variety exists in a sea of bland obscurity, I see it as a challenge.... more » I adore grape variety summaries such as these: “Widely planted though little... more »

New DOQ Priorat wineries to know, 2020 edition

by  |  19-10-2020

The wines being produced under the auspices of DOQ Priorat are always in flux and always evolving. They have to because the region from hence they issue forth grows ever more extreme while at the... more » The wines being produced under the auspices of DOQ Priorat are always... more »

The almightiest of scores: Zero Parker Points

by  |  16-10-2020

As a rehash, the whole “100 points scale” that Robert Parker “invented” is actually a 50-100 point scale that’s based upon the American educational grading system. So in essence, the lowest score a wine could... more » As a rehash, the whole “100 points scale” that Robert Parker “invented”... more »

In The Glass: Gran Bierzo Rosado 2019

by  |  14-10-2020

I’m thankfully no “wine influencer“, so I’m not terribly accustomed to my Instagram, “blowing up” but blow up it did when I posted this rosé from Bierzo last week. It was in a blind tasting... more » I’m thankfully no “wine influencer“, so I’m not terribly accustomed to my... more »

A book review of “Firing Blancs”

by  |  12-10-2020 ~ 2 Comments

I mention it often as it seems an unchanging fact, but fiction in wine writing is a rare beast. Quality fiction is something even rarer. And being able to write a sequel is but the... more » I mention it often as it seems an unchanging fact, but fiction... more »
Photo by Morana Zibar

The nitty & gritty about The Wine Instagram

by  |  09-10-2020 ~ 1 Comment

Lockdown brought about an exponential increase in my social media screen time to the point of saturation and forced me to re-evaluate the good, the bad and the ugly of both Twitter and Instagram. My... more » Lockdown brought about an exponential increase in my social media screen time... more »

A farewell to beloved Barcelona wine bar, Monvínic

by  |  05-10-2020

Monvínic, one of the first truly-dedicated wine bars in Barcelona that was once hailed as the best wine bar in the world by a Wall Street Journal columnist, finally announced last week that they’ve closed... more » Monvínic, one of the first truly-dedicated wine bars in Barcelona that was... more »

In The Glass: Obergo – Expression Garnacha 2016

by  |  30-09-2020

I’m on my way to DO Somontano for a couple of days. While their wines are readily available in supermarkets in some parts of Spain, I’m looking to gain a better appreciation of what this... more » I’m on my way to DO Somontano for a couple of days.... more »