Features
Image from Picpoul de Pinet AOP

Picpoul me once

by  |  03-11-2026

In what seems like a different universe now, I was fresh out of university and planning my first trip to Paris. I asked a well-traveled work colleague if he had any restaurant recommendations. He did... more »

A deeper look at underwater wine aging

by  |  27-10-2026

The waters, were calm. Just a few hours earlier they’d been a roiling mass of nature at its most violent; a cold boil of northern stormfront that had nearly derailed the boat tour planned for... more »

About the advertorial

by  |  20-10-2026 ~ 4 Comments

"Ni carn ni peix." This phrase in Catalan is one that any regular reader knows I keep coming back to as I simply love it. "Neither meat nor fish" is the literal translation, but the... more »

Telling a mountain to move

by  |  13-10-2026

The Montsant Massif is a striking mountain range full of grey cliffs and sits at the northern point of Priorat Country in Catalunya, Spain. Meaning, “the holy mountain”, it’s inspirational in sheer, natural awe and... more »

The wines of Collioure & Banyuls 2026

by  |  15-09-2026

One of the highlights in my wine reporting calendar is to visit and taste the wines of Collioure, Banyuls, and the greater Côte Vermeille. This year, it’s a large batch with over 110 wines reviewed... more »

The broad view for Wines of Portugal

by  |  11-09-2026

The first part of my trip to Porto for Alive Taste this summer was, to put it mildly, mind-blowingly hot–and this is from someone who lives on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula. Thankfully,... more »

Of Substack & wine

by  |  08-09-2026

To borrow Ernest Hemingway’s observation on going bankrupt, wine writing on Substack started gradually and then happened all at once. It’s no secret that classic wine media has been in a decline in terms of... more »

Reinventing the wine

by  |  01-09-2026

Unlike most other alcohols, selling wine over the last half century has required not just branding, but a narrative, and despite being very aware of this, wine has never actually managed to fully control its... more »

The wines of DOQ Priorat & DO Montsant 2026

by  |  30-07-2026

With what appears to be the earliest harvest on record just about everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to take a look at two of the leading regions in Spain, DOQ Priorat and DO... more »

The wines of Rioja 2026

by  |  16-07-2026

The Rioja wine region is a mighty, impressive ship. It seems to have the ability to weather most any storm. But, despite its might, will the current downward trends in wine drinking, especially reds, prove... more »