Articles

Scala Dei and la Cartoixa 1974

by  |  25-03-2022

Much praise is rightly given to the group of people who came to Priorat, Catalunya in the 1980s and saw not a remote wine region in serious decline, but a wondrous terroir with great possibility.... more »

Wines for Ukraine Auction

by  |  21-03-2022

When Russian tanks invaded Ukraine on February 24th, like millions of other people in the world, I was stunned. That feeling soon passed to anger and it has mostly stayed there, being punctuated by sadness... more »

A deeper look at DOQ Priorat 2019

by  |  17-03-2022

Whenever I can, I put together special tastings upon request in Priorat. They’re often for those visiting who want to sate a general wine curiosity or for dig deeper into a specific theme. In the... more »
Photo from Falua

A taste of Tejo through Falua’s Conde Vimioso

by  |  14-03-2022

Portugal doesn’t lack for wine excitement these days. That’s impressive given that it’s a relatively small size on the Iberian Peninsula and small islands in the Atlantic. Big things come in small packages however as... more »

The wines of Petaluma Gap AVA 2022

by  |  08-03-2022

Napa Valley has long-claimed the wealth of headlines about California wine. The irony in this is that it produces but 4% of all wine in California each year. Sonoma County to the west of Napa... more »

Cul de Cuvée 05-03-2022

by  |  05-03-2022

A bluntly-curated selection of absolutely random recent bits from around the wine and drink world. In much the same way that ancient sex objects are often mis-categorized as “tools” in museums, it appears that what... more »

In other news…

by  |  28-02-2022 ~ 1 Comment

This week I'd wanted to share a report on some excellent wines in California. I'd wanted to write up stories about funny and/or ridiculous things happening in the wine world. I'd wanted to do a... more »

Checking in on Vina Carić

by  |  24-02-2022

While I live by the Mediterranean, the Adriatic is something different and with its own unique charm. Like many things on the lengthy “Was Gonna Do” List of 2020, I was going to be visiting... more »

The first truffle dog competition in Priorat

by  |  22-02-2022

This past Sunday, the 20th of February, 2022, marked the first ever competition for truffle-hunting dogs in Priorat. While Spain may not be a country known for its truffles, they exist in plentitude throughout all... more »
Photo by Gutter & Stars

Exceptional English Chardonnay

by  |  17-02-2022 ~ 1 Comment

Sure, still whites made from Chardonnay in the UK have been around for a while, but now it’s a variety that's definitely found its voice. While grown in the country for some time, my first... more »