Eli Ben-Zaken, the pioneer who built an Israeli icon

Posted on March 29, 2023March 29, 2023 by Adam S. Montefiore

Adam S. Montefiore reflects on the extraordinary life of Israeli vigneron Eli Ben-Zaken in this short extract from his recently published biography on Domaine du Castel. I picture Eli Ben-Zaken in the summer of 2021, standing on his own outside his house and winery at Ramat Razi’el as he defiantly fought against the fierce wildfires in the hills and forests that rise towards Jerusalem. The flame...

Seeing beyond Semillon

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Amanda Barnes

Amanda Barnes hones in on Hunter Valley, finding a fine spread of varieties and styles, including fresh takes on its signature grape. It may be Semillon that Hunter Valley is best known for, but as a recent New South Wales tasting set out to prove — the region can do a whole lot more. Australia’s first Albariño was planted here, in the Hunter Valley, back in 2014, which spurred on a bit of an A...

Meet the Member: Rose Murray Brown MW

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Amanda Barnes

Rose Murray Brown MW is one of Scotland's leading wine writers and also hosts regular wine tastings and masterclasses. In this Meet the Member interview, Amanda Barnes learns how Italy was her first love in wine but how it was a rum tasting with sailors and sherry tasting with vicars that made a couple of her most memorable tastings. How did you first get into wine? I first discovere...

Benvenuto Brunello

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Filippo Magnani

Filippo Magnani marvels at Montalcino and its marvellously mature wines, and salivates at the local expression of the Sangiovese grape variety. The village of Montalcino, assisted by the outstanding organization of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, hosted ‘Benvenuto Brunello’, dedicated to the new vintages of this famous wine, from 11th to 21st November. The 2022 edition gathered an ...

A relatively large hidden Slovakian gem

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Jochen Erler

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Exploring the diversity of Los Chacayes

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Amanda Barnes

Amanda Barnes tours us through the new, but highly sought-after, appellation of Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley. This article and video first appeared in The South America Wine Guide. Since the first pioneer of the wine region, François Lurton and his family, planted here in 1996, Los Chacayes has exploded to become one of the hotspots of the Valle de Uco today with over 1,800 hectares of vi...

Leary’s Global Wineology 2023 released

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Charlie Leary

Charlie Leary has published his 2023 edition of Leary's Global Wineology: A guide to wine eduction, mentorships and scholarships. The handy guide takes readers through the world of wine education and helps offer guidance on which route is best to take, depending on your goals and experience. It covers well-known courses, such as the WSET and Court Master Sommeliers, as well as looking into deta...

Bottling and preserving diversity

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Marc Millon

Marc Millon, VIA (Vinitaly International Academy) Italian Wine Ambassador, shares his takeaway thoughts on Italy’s numerous indigenous grape varieties, arising from Food Diversity Day. In the global supermarket of seemingly endless choice, the real and genuine foods available to us are sadly getting fewer and fewer. If we are what we eat, then we should all be concerned that this diminuation of...

Meet the Member: Paul White

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Paul White

Author and wine writer Paul White has lived in several different corners of the world, from Oregon to New Zealand, and visited over 90 wine regions. In this interview he looks back on memorable wine experiences around the globe, as well as musing on the world of clay amphora in winemaking. Tell us about your first experiences in wine? I was born in a post-prohibition Des Moines, wher...

Review: Talha Tales, Portugal’s Ancient Answer to Amphora Wines

Posted on February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 by L.M. Archer

L.M. Archer reviews Paul James White’s new book, Talha Tales: Portugal’s Ancient Answer to Amphora Wines. Talha Tales tells a quixotic tale of Portuguese wine technology lost and found. It’s also a story of one wine region’s cultural resurrection, set in the dusty, remote reaches of Alentejo. Talha – exclusively Portuguese and quintessentially Alentejan Romans first introduced talha, or...