Articles

The rest of 2016

by  |  05-01-2016

Continued from yesterday, a few more observations about what's to come in 2016 in general and outside of Catalonia. Southern France I just received an email from Michel Blanc in Châteauneuf going on at length... more »

Catalan wines in 2016

by  |  04-01-2016

With the start of January comes that typical moment in the wine world of retrospection, reflection, and prediction. I think that most of this due to winemakers not having much to do in the cellars... more »

Cava versus Champagne

by  |  30-12-2015

With New Year's Eve just around the corner and having slogged through multiple bottles of sparkling wine during the Christmas meals, I felt it a good time to talk about Champagne and Cava. One should... more »

Taking the Court of Master Sommeliers Level 2 – Certified Sommelier Exam

by  |  28-12-2015 ~ 20 Comments

You read up on the differences between the WSET & the Court of Master Sommeliers, you went the sommelier path and you passed the CMS Level 1. Thus, you have arrived. Now, is where it... more »

Wine gifts and tools for the sommelier & collector

by  |  21-12-2015

Also have a look at this extended wine lovers/sommelier gift list As it often the case when people reach this point in December (or in about seven days in Europe for Three Kings), you have... more »

In The Glass: Collemassari – Bolgheri Rosso 2010

by  |  20-12-2015

During a trip to Valpolicella a few months ago, on the last day, we found ourselves having lunch on the eastern shore of Lake Garda in the village of Torri del Benaco. It's a very... more »

Celler Ardèvol in Porrera now with visits

by  |  19-12-2015

Back when we were researching the Priorat book, when it came time to do a profile of Ardèvol, we ran in to a bit of a dead-end as Pep Ardèvol wasn't all that interested in... more »

Luis Pérez and his Tintilla 2012

by  |  14-12-2015

Living in Priorat, I didn't intend to buy any red wine while in Jerez for the Sherry Educators course in October. On my last day there however, I stopped in at this wine shop called,... more »

Taking the Court of Master Sommeliers Level 1 – Introductory Exam

by  |  12-12-2015

So, maybe you've read up about the various differences between the WSET & Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) and now you're headed on the CMS path of things. The first stop on this is to... more »

The 2015 harvest in Priorat & Montsant

by  |  10-12-2015

These days everyone wants to put a positive spin on each year's vintage, wanting, rightly or wrongly, to stand out in a crowded digital landscape. But after last year's 'marmalade harvest', people may actually be... more »