Catalan Wines

The wines from Malvasia de Sitges 2022

by  |  28-09-2022

That there are 10,000 grape varieties in the world is daunting. That there are also the countless synonyms, madness. Here is the story of but one finding new a new life in the modern age.... more »

The wines of Montilla-Moriles 2022

by  |  31-08-2022

At the beginning of June, I boarded a highspeed AVE train down to Córdoba in Andalucía, Spain. It was a trip of 4.5 hours (vs the 8.5 it would take to drive) but my fingers... 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 »
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 »

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 »

The wines of DOQ Priorat 2022

by  |  14-07-2022

The wine industry continues to find itself in a wealth of challenges which is why this report on DOQ Priorat (and its corresponding Tasting Report) was one of the most difficult to put together in... more »

Drinking well, in the Faroe Islands

by  |  28-06-2022

A series that looks at how to enjoy a drink in less obvious and at times, exotic destinations. I couldn’t really place the Faroe Islands on a map until one day myself and the editor-in-chief... more »

The wines of DO Montsant 2022

by  |  20-06-2022

I’m very happy to be releasing the latest tasting report for DO Montsant today. Over half of the nearly 90 wines tasted resided within the vintage boundaries of 2018, 2019, and 2020. But, with 1/4... more »

How the bum was won

by  |  09-06-2022 ~ 7 Comments

It started as a simple proposition. Mike Boyne of Bin Two in Padstow, England contacted me a few weeks back and asked if I'd be interested in tasting the third edition, of his now-legendary pét-nat... more »

The wines of AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022

by  |  31-05-2022

I’d missed that view of the “Pope’s new castle” seen above. It’s striking in how it lords over the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, making for spectacular photos whether day or night. My longing for it was... more »