Features
Shesh i Bardhë grapes by Flori Uka

The grapes of Albania

by  |  05-06-2023

This is a comprehensive report on the wines, varieties, and overall scene in terms of Albanian wine. Please read the accompanying Feature Report as well as the Tasting Report. As is the case most anywhere... more »

The wines of DO Alella

by  |  08-05-2023

In any region, there will always be a DO which is the smallest of all and for Catalunya, that’s DO Alella. Plain to see, yet just out of sight, it literally sits but a few... more »

The wines of DO Costers del Segre 2023

by  |  19-04-2023

I will readily admit to being a bit intimidated by DO Costers del Segre. I realize of of course you might be immediately be saying, “Whatsers del what?” I assume this because, unless you live... more »

The wines from DO Vinos de Madrid

by  |  27-03-2023

The photo above is not what one associates with Spain’s capital, Madrid and for good reason. The active, museum-rich, dining-prone, culturally-vibrant city with a population of over three million (and problably half as many bars)... more »

The wines of Mallorca 2023

by  |  01-03-2023

Today I’m releasing the full Mallorca Tasting Report (with my scores), as well as the corresponding regional report as follows. This had been some time in the making, but for one reason or another, Mallorca,... more »

A splash of Malvasija Dubrovačka in Konavle

by  |  07-02-2023

How grape varieties arrived to where they are in the world is always a point of fascination for me and it’s what piqued my curiosity about Malvasia de Sitges in Catalunya which I wrote about... more »

The wines of Terrasses du Larzac 2023

by  |  31-01-2023

I’ve wanted to do a full, region-wide tasting of the Terrasses du Larzac appellation in the Languedoc region of Southern France for quite some time. Officially approved only in 2014, they’re one of the newest... more »

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 »