The rediscovery of Carménère is a fascinating story. While many different grape varieties have been brought back from obscurity in different periods of time, none have made such a fantastic reappearance as Carménère. Believed to be extinct for centuries, Carménère truly came back from …
Category:
Notes from the Road
What are the top Croatian grape varieties to taste? If you are craving new flavours or a different vinous experience, why not give Croatian wine a try? Croatia has more than 130 different native wine grapes. Combine the grape diversity with a multitude of microclimates, …
There’s no lack of a good fiesta in South America… The Carnival continent certainly knows how to throw a party and the harvest season is no exception. There are several harvest festivals (known locally as the Vendimia) worth visiting. Here is my round up …
Eduardo Soler is a fascinating frontman for Ver Sacrum – an art lover, a mountain climber and an appreciator of Pagan traditions. Fittingly, there’s nothing usual about Ver Sacrum for Mendoza – from the varieties through to the ethos of the three winemaking friends. …
While Mendoza has always been a friend of the Bordeaux varieties beyond Malbec (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to mention a few), in recent years there is an increasing trend towards Mediterranean varieties too. Syrah is the most widespread Mediterranean variety you’ll …
What is Vigno? Vigno stands for Vignadores de Carignan and is an association of producers whose goal is to create an appellation of origin for wines made from old Carignan vines that have been dry-farmed and bush-trained in the Maule Secano area. Why was Vigno set …
Carignan has not garnered many friends around the world. Indeed, the opinion of many leading wine experts could well make you decide to steer clear of the variety. Check out this quote, for instance, on the Carignan profile from the bible of the wine …
What is the Carignan boom all about and why is it deeply linked to Maule, one of Chile’s most traditional terroirs? Winemaker Arnaud Hereu from Viña Odfjell discusses his own discovery of old vine Carignan in Maule and why he believes this historic Chilean …
What is PiPA and Paraje Altamira all about? Last week I met up with Finca Suarez winemaker Juanfa Suarez for a wine tasting session and asked him to clarify what the Productores Independientes de Paraje Altamira (Independent Producers from Paraje Altamira) movement is about …
A fourth-generation Altamira producer, Juanfa Suarez of Finca Suarez has a little-told story but one which resonates with many local families and spans the ferocious booms and busts of Argentina’s wine history. A family of Spanish immigrants, his great-grandfather settled in Altamira certain that …