Yearly Archives: 2021

On finishing their studies at agricultural college, Niels and Penny Verburg wanted to make wine but having no access to vineyards led them to leave South Africa in 1989. They…

Paul-Henri Thillardon, originally from Frontenas in the south of the Beaujolais region (where his father was a vigneron), settled in the appellation of Chénas in Beaujolais in 2008 at the…

Time was… …. that at the beginning of the year one sifted through the sediment of one’s knackered Christmas claret, rubbed a tartrate crystal ball and prognose-sticated on all the…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Who wants to know? Well, vegans, presumably. This is not a question that keeps me awake at night, but I know that message boards on forums are full of it.…

Christophe was born into a family of vignerons. His great-grandfather already made wine in cellars in the village as well as being a polycultural farmer. His father Gilbert left the cooperative…

Poetry in Prosecco Christian Zago, accompanied by Marika, represents the 5th generation of growers at Ca’ dei Zago, a family farm in the heart of Valdobbiadene. The most important part…

It is axiomatic that every producer of new-wave natural wine should have at least one label that is graphic or flirts with the suggestive. The No Sexual Services Pink Bunny…

At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the…

When eating out in restaurants, it is refreshing to encounter a clear focus on principal ingredients, showcasing two, perhaps three things on a plate, a dish that may be tackled…

--By Laura Milnes German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel developed a theory known as the Hegelian dialectic that posits: A beginning proposition called a thesis A negation of that thesis…

New thrillers from Parrilla El Pinto is a collaboration between Les Caves de Pyrene and Hacienda La Parrilla. The idea behind this project is to create excellent value wines from…

In the 1990’s, Philippe Meyer and Sophie Kumpf, both from long-established Alsatian winemaking families, married, and founded a new winemaking estate ‘Kumpf et Meyer’ with its winery situated in the…

The Dietrich family has farmed land in Alsace since 1600 mostly in the village of Scherwiller but also in an adjacent village. Historically, the family farm was to be run…

The process of fermentation in winemaking turns the must (grape juice) into an alcoholic drink called wine. During primary fermentation, yeasts transform sugars present in the juice into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The most common yeast associated with winemaking is…

Itata for now! The old Itata Hills are a fantastic place. The terroir potential for making wines here with special character is great. Leo Erazo’s work is to bring that…

The estate was established by Marc Ollivier in 1984 and Remi Branger joined him in 2007, followed by Gwénaëlle Croix in 2012. Marc had experience in the winemaking world from…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Though Benoit is not originally from a winemaking family (his father was a horse trader), he wanted to make wine, and so left the Loire Valley to study oenology in…

Some thoughts on wine tasting and training Doing tastings with sommeliers and wine buyers or conducting wine training is part of the job for the common-or-garden wine merchant. You buy…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Named after the beautiful flower that grows in the Teide national park in Tenerife (which is also depicted on the labels), Tajinaste is run by the indefatigable Agustín García Farrais.…

A family owned and run domaine in the heart of south west France focussing on terroir expression, biodynamic processes and crafted quality, Domaine du Pech lies in the Buzet appellation,…

Nikau Farm is home to Dane Johns (of Momento Mori), his wife Hannah and their young family. It is an expansive property of about 95 acres in the Baw Baw…

Tasting is viewed – scientifically – as the reflexive response to various stimuli. It is both a mechanistic and cognitive activity. I am primarily interested in the translation of mere…

Cider and perry is seasonal, don’t you know… and we are emerging into summer. Here are a few newbies to whet your appetites and wet your whistles, some of them…

When people ask me to define natural wine, I have this abiding image of myself taking a hammer and trying to nail jelly to a wall. Definitions are always beset…

The beautiful contractions of inconsistency One of my memories of 2020 is how many good wines I drank over the twelvemonth. I would classify all of those as naturally-made, notwithstanding…

Check out or previous Long Read, 'I See Red'! Smell, or olfaction to give its scientific appellation, is so important when we are talking about associations, memories and epiphanies. Smell…

Vigneti Tardis is a collaboration between Jack Lewens (former sommelier and now co-owner of Leroy in Shoreditch) and his long-time friend, Bruno de Conciliis of Viticoltori de Conciliis, the master…

Many dozens of books have fully explored the mechanics of taste, its fixities and definites, and there are numerous systems to codify or judge these. Sometimes I wonder if this…

The Mighty Boeuf Since the Middle Ages, there have been records about the lieu-dit “le Tue-Boeuf” and its excellent wines which were enjoyed by the local nobility and the kings…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

How to reach 1,000 blogs on wine. Always scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh, Mr. Gibbon? A lot of words, some not necessarily in the right order, have flowed under the bridge.…

Mas de Daumas Gassac is a truly special domaine, one we hold in high and fond regard.  As it approaches its 50th anniversary, we talk to owner and vigneron, Samuel…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

The Harris Epiphany The state of ignorance and innocence, receptiveness, and a combination of unlikely natural circumstances that may trigger a spiritual/poetic realisation. A real artist is the one who…

The story of Mas de Daumas Gassac is one of vision, enterprise, passion and pride. When the Guiberts first purchased their farm (the mas) in the charming Gassac valley they…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Vini di Balgera, Lombardia Cultured Chiavs Balgera is a small family winery located in Chiuro, one of the winegrowing villages of Valtellina area, in the region of Lombardy. The winery…

Twas the night before bottling And all through the house Not a creature was stirring Not even a mouse The Church of Faults in Wine is divided about most things,…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

“There are thousands of wines that can take over our minds. Don't think all ecstasies are the same!”  ~ Jalaluddin Rumi What is it about fermented grape juice that excites…

Sepp and Maria Muster inherited their 10-hectare estate in Schlossberg near the small town of Leutschach in Styria (called Steiermark) from Sepp’s parents Theresa and Rudolf Muster. The oldest document…

A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period – When March is scarcely here A Colour stands abroad On Solitary Fields That Science cannot…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

In part one (which can be found here) we discussed the origins of biodynamics and explained the various preparations whilst attempting to demystify lunar cycles and the planting calendar. We…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

I never found that “organic” as such was a particularly useful or meaningful term, no matter how laudable the practices involved. When I used to go to supermarkets, I bought…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Clos Fantine is a small, family-run winery in La Liquière, located in the hills in the commune of Faugères. Having inherited the winery from their father, Olivier, Corine & Carole Andrieu…

Boy number twenty unable to define a wine! “Girl number twenty unable to define a horse!" said Mr. Gradgrind, for the general behoof of all the little pitchers. "Girl number…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Leo Erazo travelled around the world making wine before settling back in his native Chile, building a winery with an enviable view over the Pacific Ocean and making a variety…

Here is a lexicon of definitions of key wine words. The definitions are not intended to be scientifically objective and, in many cases, will be somewhat simplistic. Some will describe…

I am referring here to those projects where growers combine their resources to make wines across les frontières. Little wine entente cordiales. We began to notice these friendly conjunctions in…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

If 2020 proved one thing to me it was that skin contact/orange wines were now much more than a bit-part player in our wine portfolio. In fact, they were the…

Intelligent design Jurgen worked with Eben Sadie for a vintage in Spain (at Terroir Al Limit in Priorat) and also in South Africa. He did further stints in France (at…

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that…

Here is a lexicon of definitions of key wine words. The definitions are not intended to be scientifically objective and, in many cases, will be somewhat simplistic. Some will describe…