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Eight wines from Montsant to know right now

by  |  12-08-2022

I’ve been working on the review for the latest edition of a well-known, 700-page wine reference. About midway through, I had to pause for a bit when I came across this mention of DO Montsant,... more » I’ve been working on the review for the latest edition of a... more »

Ora Hotel, Priorat’s newest lodging destination

by  |  10-08-2022

Today sees the grand opening of the Ora Hotel in Torroja, a lovely stone village at the dead center of the Priorat wine region. It’s an opening that got quite delayed from its original timeline... more » Today sees the grand opening of the Ora Hotel in Torroja, a... more »

A taste of 2021 Pošip from Korčula, Croatia

by  |  08-08-2022

There’s little debate about the fact that one of my most favorite white grape varieties from Croatia is Pošip. Please immediately make note that this is not a synonym for the Hungarian grape, Furmint. That’s... more » There’s little debate about the fact that one of my most favorite... more »

The 2022 vintage so far: Iberia and its northeast

by  |  05-08-2022

I’m usually quite loathe to talk about a vintage in progress unless there’s been some kind of major event such as the mildew insanity of 2020. Unknowns are a plenty and the knowns far and... more » I’m usually quite loathe to talk about a vintage in progress unless... more »
Photos, Danae Rodríguez for Marisol Rubio

Marisol Rubio, Pedro Ximénez at the limits

by  |  03-08-2022

The white Spanish grape variety, Pedro Ximénez is something of a curious creature. For those who may know its name, there’s probably the association with Sherry where it (along with Moscatel) produces the dessert wines... more » The white Spanish grape variety, Pedro Ximénez is something of a curious... more »
Photo courtesy of Abadia Retuerta

Spain’s newest Vino de Pago in Abadia Retuerta

by  |  01-08-2022

It seems that there’s been a bit of activity again in terms of regional approvals from Brussels as on 31 May, 2022 the Official Journal of the European Union certified the Abadia Retuerta and Bolandin... more » It seems that there’s been a bit of activity again in terms... more »

The hidden truth of alternative wine bottle formats

by  |  28-07-2022 ~ 2 Comments

A few weeks previous on Twitter, someone in the wine trade was extolling the virtues of a new, non-glass wine bottle format that uses a plastic liner for the wine. There are many of these... more » A few weeks previous on Twitter, someone in the wine trade was... more »

A new taste of the island wines from Vis, Croatia

by  |  26-07-2022

Croatia puts a lot of marketing bucks into backing its claim of having “over 1,000 islands”. In truth, there are actually 1,244 by their count but of those, it’s really only 80 or so that... more » Croatia puts a lot of marketing bucks into backing its claim of... more »

Cul de Cuvée 23-07-2022

by  |  23-07-2022 ~ 2 Comments

A bluntly-curated selection of absolutely random recent bits from around the wine and drink world served up “mostly fresh” for your enjoyment. If you've ever thought, "Well I do like Scotch, but I don't like... more » A bluntly-curated selection of absolutely random recent bits from around the wine... more »

In The Glass: Domaine de Bila-Haut – L’Esquerda 2018

by  |  22-07-2022

My fascination with Roussillon, France isn’t just because it’s the land that was historically Catalunya Nord (Northern Catalunya), but more that it’s neither here nor there. It’s most definitely not Languedoc (to which it is... more » My fascination with Roussillon, France isn’t just because it’s the land that... more »