Essays

Why Sherry is reviving

by  |  22-02-2021

It’s the news that Sherry producers have been waiting literally decades to hear: Sherry sales have increased! As was recently reported in terms of the UK (a principal market for the wine), Sherry sales have... more »
Photo courtesy of Bodegas Protos

Tasting the current line of Bodegas Protos

by  |  17-02-2021

There are many great aspects of Bodegas Protos in Ribera del Duero, but for the sake of this article there are two that stand out as the most important. The first is that they make... more »

Tasting Descendientes de J. Palacios 2019

by  |  10-02-2021

Last October, in one of the few open windows for travel in between the lockdowns that we keep experiencing during this pandemic, I made a trip to Bierzo to taste their wines and compile research... more »

A tasting of Sommos Garnacha

by  |  03-02-2021

The last day I was up in Barbastro to research the Somontano Report, I visited Sommos to sit down with the winemaker, José Javier Echandi, over lunch and discuss what they’re doing in their massive,... more »

The wines of DO Somontano for 2021

by  |  01-02-2021

Secreted away along a bend in the Vero River, Barbastro is a surprisingly large town of nearly 17,000 people in north-eastern Aragón. It’s historic as well, having been founded during Roman times when it was... more »

In The Glass: El Coto – Crianza 2016

by  |  09-01-2021

As has been made very clear, while we may have left 2020 behind us, 2021, the impending “Year of the Ox” on the Chinese calendar, isn’t really going to be that much different, at least... more »

Taking stock of bottle-aged Sherry

by  |  11-11-2020

Despite the great quantity of books on Sherry these days (such as this one), it seems that we’re still lacking one which debunks all the misinformation, misconceptions, and plain old clichés cursing this fine wine.... more »

The almightiest of scores: Zero Parker Points

by  |  16-10-2020

As a rehash, the whole “100 points scale” that Robert Parker “invented” is actually a 50-100 point scale that’s based upon the American educational grading system. So in essence, the lowest score a wine could... more »

In The Glass: Gran Bierzo Rosado 2019

by  |  14-10-2020

I’m thankfully no “wine influencer“, so I’m not terribly accustomed to my Instagram, “blowing up” but blow up it did when I posted this rosé from Bierzo last week. It was in a blind tasting... more »

In The Glass: Obergo – Expression Garnacha 2016

by  |  30-09-2020

I’m on my way to DO Somontano for a couple of days. While their wines are readily available in supermarkets in some parts of Spain, I’m looking to gain a better appreciation of what this... more »