Articles
Photo from Bodegas Montecillo.

A deeper look at Bodegas Montecillo

by  |  14-12-2022

In what now seems like a century ago, I made a lengthy research visit to Rioja in November of last year. My goals were various, but the main one was to taste Garnacha wines in... more »

The tale of two Reservas: Rioja vs. Ribera del Duero

by  |  23-11-2022

Such an article could have easily been titled, “I drank these two supermarket Tempranillos so you didn’t have to” but in all fairness maybe one or the other of these two wines is actually very... more »

Two very, very different Valdemars

by  |  17-10-2022

Indeed, they’re not truly on opposite ends of the world. Oion in the Rioja region of Spain, and Walla Walla in the state of Washington in the United States are but a “mere” 8,500km from... more »

Herdade Barranco do Vale, a tasty bit of the Algarve

by  |  23-09-2022

I’m in something of a bind. I’ve been seeing the points awarded by some lately and wondering where on earth they’re coming from? Obviously, it’s a highly subjective field, but at the same time, there... more »

The Vinha Centenária of Quinta Nova

by  |  29-04-2022

I've enjoyed getting to know the Douro Valley more in recent years, especially in following the evolution of Quinta Nova. A producer of both fine dry wines as well as Ports, it was through a... more »

Two very different sides of DO Ribera del Duero

by  |  08-04-2022

This is a short comparison of the wines from Abadía de San Quirce and Bodegas Veganzones. While both are located in DO Ribera del Duero, they illustrate just how much difference there can be in... more »

I tasted these 2€ Spanish wines so you didn’t have to

by  |  04-10-2021

Spain has no problem selling its wines... as long as they're "a good value". This has become a double-edged sword given that the common perception, especially in markets like the UK, is that Spanish wines... more »

Villota, a bend in the river

by  |  22-07-2021

Laserna, Álava, at the border of Basque Country and La Rioja doesn’t offer terribly much in terms of sights. A main road narrowly winds its way through the few houses of the village, the old... more »

In The Glass: Olivier Rivière- Rayos Uva 2019

by  |  26-05-2021

I don’t know when, but someday we’ll look back from a vantage point far, far in the future and say, “So… why on earth did people think Rioja wines had to be almost all Tempranillo?”... more »

A Southern European selection of François Lurton

by  |  03-05-2021

François Lurton is but one member of the vast Lurton family, long-established in Bordeaux. If you’d like to read up on their history, I’d recommend having a look at this article as I would but... more »