Events

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 »

In The Glass: Raúl Pérez – Ultreia Saint Jacques 2017

by  |  25-09-2020

For those coming around to DO Bierzo and the charm of the variety, Mencía, Raúl Pérez has long been hailed as one of the star winemakers of the region and its primary grape. Bierzo is... more »

Talking about Spain around the internets

by  |  28-08-2020

August is usually a pretty slow month of spending a few days at the beach, dinners of cold dishes, and trying to get in dog walks before walking in the sun scorches you to a... more »
Photo from DOC Rioja

A better understanding of Rioja’s “Viñedos Singulares”

by  |  17-08-2020

In 2019, the first “Viñedos Singulares” or “single vineyards” in DOC Rioja were certified. This first batch saw 84 vineyards certified under the new scheme, covering 154ha, which I think by any measure would be... more »
Photo provided by DOC Rioja

DOC Rioja’s “Institutional Wines” for 2020

by  |  13-07-2020

DOC Rioja has announced the latest wines that will represent “typicity” in their respective category for the next year. From 163 submitted samples by 53 different wineries, they parred this down to eight individual wines... more »

Massive case of fraud emerges from DO Valdepeñas

by  |  06-07-2020

The big news story for the last couple of months in Spanish wine has revolved around the Denomination of Origin (DO) Valdepeñas. This centrally-located DO in the province of Ciudad Real is in the south... more »

2020, the gift that keeps on giving

by  |  11-06-2020

Starting in March it became readily apparent that 2020 was going to be a real slog for wine. When restaurants, bars, and hotels are closed due to a global pandemic, wine doesn’t sell which is... more »