Articles

Pepe Raventós – Clos del Serral & Clos Petit 2013

by  |  18-11-2024

If for some reason you’ve never watched the mockumentary that essentially founded the genre, do go and enjoy ‘This is Spinal Tap‘ which is a but a mere 40 years young now in 2024. If... more »

Tasta Porrera, Priorat 2024

by  |  14-11-2024

There’s a very specific snap of cold that ripples through the air at the start of November in the Priorat region. When this moment arrives, you know that it’s time for the annual Tasta Porrera... more »
Photo by Rioja Alavesa

New Basque Denomination of Origin annulled by high court

by  |  12-11-2024

In what is a great deal of finality to the ongoing conflict between the creation of the DO Viñedos de Álava/Arabako Mahastiak and DOC Rioja, a high court in Basque Country has ruled that the... more »

Torelló – ANL/21

by  |  07-11-2024

I had one of those “a black sheriff?” from Blazing Saddles moments when I received notice of this new wine from sparkling producer, Torelló, one of the founding members of Corpinnat. I mention the surprise... more »

Ramón Bilbao’s 100th & The Spanish Wine Master

by  |  04-11-2024

I had the pleasure of attending the 100th anniversary celebration of the winery, Ramón Bilbao in Rioja this past week. Given that 100th anniversaries don’t come along all that often, they pulled out all the... more »

How to understand any DOQ Priorat vintage

by  |  30-10-2024

One can’t know every wine in the world no matter what may be claimed on social media. Even knowing a great many of the regions of the world is tricky. This is why critics in... more »

Wine tasting without waste

by  |  28-10-2024

I haven’t seen one in a while, but I’m sure the “Save water, drink wine” t-shirts are still lurking out there, ready to spread their pithy and exceedingly-inaccurate message to those who have not seen... more »

Copain de Vin’s new ‘VinVoyage’

by  |  23-10-2024

There’s been a great deal of effort over the past decades to build up wine as a “fancy” thing that requires sitting down to drink and enjoy properly, whether that means with a meal (preferably... more »

The wines of DO Tarragona 2024

by  |  21-10-2024

Given the fine passage of time since the last report of DO Tarragona, it was time to do an update. A tasting earlier in October offered just the opportunity which you can see in the... more »

A review of, “Widow Clicquot”

by  |  16-10-2024

The region of Champagne holds a fascinating history as it features a great many important women who, while not ignored, haven’t seen the protagonism they deserve in various media. In what will hopefully be the... more »