Highlights

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Marche wines hit the high mark

The wines of the Marche region of central Italy and the area itself have somewhat evaded the international spotlight, but there are some real wonders – vinous, gastronomic, natural and cultural – to be discovered in this chunk of central Italy that sits in the very pleasant land that lies between the Adriatic and the Apennines. Cheap and cheerful Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi was a common sight ...
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No pyrrhic victories for the winegrowers of ancient Samnium

  If you’re keeping tabs on wine quality in Southern Italy with its myriad indigenous grape varieties and oftentimes limited access to distribution, this update on the Sannio DOP should prove to be useful. Through a combination of research trips to Campania and the opportunity to judge at the Radici del Sud ‘Roots of the South’ wine competition, which has been held in different venues in the...
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Taste of the unexpected from California

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the mainstays of Californian wine but The California Wine Institute pulled out all the stops at our June tasting to show us some quite unexpected wines from across the state. Justin Knock MW, UK ambassador of the California Wine Institute and proprietor of Philgas & Swiggot (spot the wordplay there?) which hosted the tasting, presented 12 wines made...
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A taste of Castilla y Léon

When we read the words ‘wine resort’ we imagine trips around wineries and relaxing wine spas. Where can you go if you would like more than this? Hacienda Zorita! The ‘Pentagon’ of the Haciendas Company is a fullyfledged complex of oenogastronomic delights. Beginning with the joint participation of a few wineries, there is now a resort, a spa and a cellar that looks like a stage setting for an exot...
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A lofty adventure into the Switzerland

Our journey from Sierre in the French speaking part of Switzerland to the charming Agriturismo Fattoria L’Amorosa for our lunch in the Italian speaking region of Ticino was quite adventurous. Travel involved a bus ride to Sierre’s quaint train station, followed by a short train ride, then a change to another train. Happily, Andrea Conconi, director of Ticinowine, the region’s promotional board, ha...
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The magic of Mayacamas’ micro-crus

A rare opportunity to taste ten vintages of one of Robert Parker`s 100-point, iconic California wines in London`s Corinthia Hotel was not to be missed. This was the Bordeaux-inspired and Merlotbased La Muse from the Vérité winery, owned by Jackson Family Wines. The vintages ranged from 2006 back to 1998, with the added bonus of a taste of great things to come in the form of the 2013 release of not...
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Research and resilience at high altitude

Climate change is everywhere according to Dr. Laura Catena, and tackling these problems is a race. “We need to look at life at all levels, using science to preserve nature and culture, and we don’t have much time.” I recently had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Catena about what she and her team at the Catena Institute for Wine are doing to mitigate the effects of climate change. “A lot of what ...
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