Patience, perseverance and pasta: Antinori launches its London Cantinetta

Amanda Barnes sits down to taste a vertical of Solaia as the Antinori family launches its latest restaurant in the heart of London. “Having 630 years of history helps us to be patient,” says Allegra Antinori, 26th generation of the Antinori wine dynasty and the middle of the three sisters gradually taking over from their father, Marchese Piero Antinori.  “This is not a soft launch, but a long la...
Read More

Awe-inspiring Amarone

Filippo Magnani finds himself revelling in the new releases of Valpolicella’s finest and shares his top tips both on what to taste and where to stay. The Amarone Opera Prima took place this year on 4th and 5th February, majestically organized by the Valpolicella Wine Consortium, at the Gran Guardia Palace in the heart of Verona. The president of the consortium, Christian Marchesini, opened the ev...
Read More

Benvenuto Brunello

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 ...
Read More

A new perspective on Prosecco from Asolo DOCG

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

Wines of the lake and the mountains

Keith Grainger zones in on beautiful Bardolino, with its myriad of soil types and mesoclimates, charting the key and ever-increasing role played by the classy Corvina in its well-known red blend. He also sips saline, crispy Chiarettos. Let me begin this article at the bottom. I well remember the nadir of the wines of the Veneto and other northern Italian regions. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the...
Read More

Reviving Carema with hiking boots, heart, and grit

Marisa Finetti is not only blown around, but also blown away by Nebbiolo from the Alpine foothills in the northern part of Piedmont, and the incredible effort and unswerving dedication taken to grow it.    The wind snapped my umbrella inside out. The impression of Carema while standing on the edge of the dramatic hillside on this blustery day was quickly leaning toward sheer intensity. Fede...
Read More

Ambassadorial knowledge acquisition

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

Compact, classy and complex Collio

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

Mountain magic

Filippo Magnani explores the grapes varieties, wines, people, culture and valleys of the Dolomites as he attends the third edition of the Wine Summit, organized by Consorzio Alto Adige Wines. Wine Summit is an extraordinary event which, through the masterful organization of Consorzio Alto Adige Wines, recounts the stories and people behind the wine of this magnificent wine region.  Alto Adige is...
Read More

A year on: How the wine world is coping with coronavirus

It’s been 18 months since the Covid-19 pandemic took its grip on the world and changed life as we know it. In April last year, we asked members from around the world to tell us what was happening in their country, and this month we’ve done the same.   EUROPE Italy Michèle Shah reports on how Italy and its wine industry is coping with Covid, which wreaked havoc on the Mediterranean count...
Read More