Articles

A bit of the pre-Douro: Niepoort – Diálogo Tinto 2015

by  |  03-06-2019

Today I find myself freshly arrived in the Douro Valley, apparently slipping in on the end of a mini heatwave. The last time I came here, I ended up driving through rampant forest fires. This... more »

Velles Vinyes: DOQ Priorat releases the most stringent “old vines” definition in Spain & maybe the world

by  |  30-05-2019

When I first started getting into wine, if it said “Old Vines” on the label I would usually buy it. Being Californian, Zinfandel had a regular spot in my shopping cart but this grew to... more »

Qvevri, or perhaps kvevri? Do-Re-Mi – Ojaleshi 2016

by  |  24-05-2019

There exists two spellings of name for the ancient Georgian clay pot used to aged their wines in the traditional manner: Kvevri and Qvevri. The first is the correct spelling and the second is an... more »

A judgment in Grenache, Perpignan edition

by  |  22-05-2019

Taking the TGV from Perpignan in the direction of Spain gives you that brief glimpse of what being a protagonist in a billion-dollar superhero franchise must feel like. There’s this rush as you gain more... more »

The release of the “Paratge”. DOQ Priorat’s newest step up the Burgundian pyramid

by  |  13-05-2019

Go and stand outside for a second. All that scenery you can see in front of you with your naked eye would be what is called in Catalan a, paratge and this week, the DOQ... more »

In The Glass: Veronica Ortega – Cobrana 2016

by  |  10-05-2019

For some time, Mencía, a grape native to the Bierzo region, was the “Pinot Noir of the moment” for Spain. The comparison seems to always be made with any grape, Spanish or not, that’s red,... more »

A more balanced amendment to OIV judging guidelines?

by  |  09-05-2019

Given the amount of wine competitions and people touting themselves as “professional wine judges” these days, it may seem to the general public that setting up such an endeavor takes little more than coming up... more »

DO Pla de Bages gets another bump

by  |  27-04-2019

DO Pla de Bages in Central Catalunya has just announced the official addition of Celler Sant Miquel d’Oló. Normally, a new cellar added to a DO wouldn’t merit note but given that it takes the... more »

A gateway to Lebanese wine: Hochar Père et Fils 2015

by  |  22-04-2019

There are random appearances of Château Musar’s “Grand Vin” at a wine and liquor shop in the Duty Free of Stansted Airport which seem to be dictated by the laws of chaos. The temptation has... more »

A book review of “Root Cause”

by  |  15-04-2019

For anyone involved in wine, it’s almost always the case that “pleasure reading” is some kind of dense tome from which a rare beast called, “fact” is derived. Fiction based upon wine is perhaps an... more »