There has never been a more exciting time for English wine. After the UK’s long and glorious summer of 2018, the harvest was a storming success and the vintage is already set to be a classic, meaning that even more eyes are going to …
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In wine, we often reduce things to numbers. Most articles on the Central Otago wine region in New Zealand will include, at some stage, ‘45th parallel south’ and ‘southernmost wine region in the world’. It is true that Central Otago is on the 45th …
Paul Pujol is one of the most respected winemakers of Central Otago and, as a seasoned producer of Pinot Noir and Alsace varieties around the world, it’s no surprise. His experience and talent in working with these varieties has made Prophet’s Rock one of …
Central Otago is not only the southernmost wine region in New Zealand, but it is also the southernmost commercial wine region in the world. At a latitude of 45° south, the only other vineyards that compete are experimental plantings in South America’s Patagonia. The …
While Colchagua is one of Chile’s most prominent wine valleys, Alto Colchagua is still somewhat off the radar. The highest altitude vineyards in Colchagua start from the higher estates of Los Lingues at altitudes of over 300 metres and run up to over 1000 …
One of the most famous but least coveted of Piedmont’s red wines, Dolcetto is very much the underdog. And it is also most certainly underestimated. Known for being a softer, fleshier wine than its Piedmont rivals of Nebbiolo and Barbera, Dolcetto is overlooked by …
Island viticulture isn’t common in the New World and it certainly brings its own fair share of challenges. “It costs us more to bring the barrels the 50km from Auckland than it does to bring them some 20,000km from France!” long-time Waiheke Island winemaker, …
Grapevines love long, dry summers and autumns with plenty of sunshine and warmth. Damp weather means the grapes struggle to ripen and vines may suffer from fungal infections like botrytis. Prolonged or heavy rain can lead to waterlogged soils, which vines really hate. And …
It isn’t the views but rather the aromas that capture you as you drive through the Dão wine region: pine, eucalyptus, the fresh forest pours through the crevices of even a closed car door window. The aromas are overwhelming. The view, however, is surprisingly …
How are wine corks made? It’s a much longer process than you might imagine – it can take up to half a century to get your first quality wine cork from a tree. Following my visit to the cork harvest in Portugal, I put together a …