There’s something about Styria, its soul, I guess. I can’t think of any one of the natural guys down there in southeast Austria who isn’t deeply committed, almost spiritual, about... read more →
There are some wines that don’t hit you at first. They sneak up on you and go all heart-throbby. This is one of them. Gabrio Bini is an architect who... read more →
Jordi Pérez took over the famed domaine a few years back when Alain Castex had divorce issues. Schiste happens. But Alain mentored his protégé and the spirit continues. Truly, his... read more →
Not all champagnes get to be both fascinating and delicious. But this one from 6 parcels of land with an average vine age of 40 years, soils of chalk, limestone... read more →
This is part of my país love affair. This one was traditionally destemmed on a pan-pipe-like bamboo contraption called a zaranda. Next, the free run juice was fermented and aged... read more →
I never quite understood why xinomavro was called the Greek nebbiolo until I tasted this nine-year-old wine from Vasilis Vaimakis. It’s a wild ferment and no sulfur illustration of how... read more →
This comes from the oldest part of the vineyard. The skin contact here is six days and it’s aged in smaller chestnut barrels. The trebbiano in the mix is a... read more →
Lapsed biologist Nacho Gonzalez’s wines get better with each vintage. Amazing what he is able to do with beautiful grapes and clay and steel tank. But this particular wine gets... read more →
Ramiro Ibáñez is on the cutting edge of restoring respect for the Jerez pago (vineyard). He is also a driving force behind the movement to return sherry to its unfortified... read more →
A simplistic explanation of a Palo Cortado sherry is that the palomino grapes begin aging biologically under a veil of flor and then mid-stream, historically by accident, the veil disappears.... read more →