Articles

A new Carignan at a new project in the Montsant: Bell Cros – El Tracte 2017

by  |  23-03-2020

DOQ Priorat has the lead over DO Montsant in terms of overall cellars (nearly double at 110 vs 60 respectively) but it’s important to keep in mind that DO Montsant is less than 1/3 as... more »

The demise of “Atwater & Clough”, a cautionary enotourism tale

by  |  17-03-2020

The bankruptcy of Thomas Cook in later 2019 was the biggest news to hit the travel industry in a long time–until of course COVID-19 emerged. This large, venerable travel agency collapsing meant tens of thousands... more »

Woe be the soul who must memorize declared years of Vintage Ports

by  |  13-03-2020

A less glamorous aspect of advanced wine studies–especially when it comes to the of the Court of Master Sommeliers–is the requirement to have at the ready, all the years where Vintage Ports were declared. “Oh... more »

Torres brings Forcada to the forefront

by  |  11-03-2020

Spanish winemaking stalwart, Torres has announced an expansion of Forcada grape plantings near the village of la Llacuna in Alt Penedès. Embracing their overall plan to reintroduce this grape into production, they’ve planted the vines... more »

What you might not have known about Georgian wine & food, Part I

by  |  09-03-2020

Daria Kholodilina is the co-author of Georgia: A Guide to the Cradle. Here she breaks down a number of lesser-known facts about the food and wine of this delicious country. See Part II for more.... more »

DO Empordà first region in Spain to allow the Carinyena Blanca grape

by  |  04-03-2020

It has finally been announced in the almighty, Official Spanish State Bulletin (Boletín Oficial del Estado) that Carinyena Blanca (White Carignan) will be allowed for use in DO Empordà starting with the 2020 harvest, making... more »

A hop across the Douro: Quinta de Tourais

by  |  02-03-2020

When heading to the Douro Valley for The New Douro tasting last year, I came across a little hotel called, Original Douro Hotel in Peso da Régua. It was a touch more expensive than some... more »

Catalan exports up, wine down. Time to bend tariffs?

by  |  28-02-2020

The Catalan Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing, and Foods (Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació) had their annual round table meeting this week to discuss final figures for 2019. The good news is that exports of... more »

A book review of “The Concise Guide to Wine & Blind Tasting 3rd Ed.”

by  |  27-02-2020

Not terribly long ago, I reviewed the second edition of Neel Burton’s foundational tome on tasting wines blind. Towards the end of 2018, he brought out a revised third edition which probably makes anyone with... more »

The absolute best Rioja wines! (available in the UK…)

by  |  24-02-2020

If you’re going to hold a tasting that focuses on one of Spain’s oldest quality wine regions, a sure-fire way to juice it up a bit is to have the venue be one of the... more »