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Alice Bonaccorsi's extraordinary 18th century terraced vineyards (Photo Simon Woolf)

Return to the Volcano

Simon J Woolf
Feature Stories
4 min read
Almost five years ago, I visited Mount Etna for the first time. Back in 2012, it already seemed like the world's most famous volcanic wine region was exploding in terms of global interest, having transitioned from near abandonment in the 1980s to 60 serious producers. But that was only the beginning.

The Good Wines of Lirac

Jill Barth
Feature Stories
7 min read
I’m in a vineyard on top of a graceful hill overlooking the Rhône River from the right bank. Right bank meaning not Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the Southern Rhône Cru Lirac. The morning was incredibly rainy; driving to Lirac from Avignon, water poured down the sloped roads and normally-sunny Provence was saturated.
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California’s Champagne Affair

Roger Morris
Feature Stories
7 min read
Can California wineries make Champagne? Of course they can! Over the past three years, at least four California wineries have started doing so. Before I get sabered by a regiment of WSET candidates for dealing in alternative facts, let me hasten to add that these Californians are making their signature

Seeking Great, Affordable Barolo

Elisabetta Tosi
Feature Stories
5 min read
Imagine waking up in a place surrounded by some of the most famous Italian vineyards - the wineries of Barolo. Picture opening the window and seeing the sun’s rays stretching along the hills, brightening a carpet of grapevines. To a wine lover, this may be the absolute best way to
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On Going Back

Fabian Jauregui
Features
2 min read
Recently I visited Italy’s Marche region for the first time. The landscape in this tiny, unheralded area of the boot is astounding. To the west, the steeper eastern slopes of the Apennines bear down, while the gentle Adriatic eclipses the horizon to the east. Upon rounding each hair-raising turn on
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Brunello: Beyond the Hype

W. Blake Gray
Feature Stories
5 min read
I never understood the appeal of Brunello di Montalcino. I haven't bought many because it's expensive, and it usually tastes like a bulky Super Tuscan to me, even though it should contain only Sangiovese. Last year I went to an oenophile's dream tasting in Montalcino. Sitting at a table with
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Burgundy: Hearts or Minds?

Simon J Woolf
Features
3 min read
My first education in wine came from my mum - a woman who loved fermented juice in a simple, unpretentious way, and who rarely if ever bought a bottle that cost more than $20. Bordeaux wines, she told me, were for the mind - the intellect even. Whereas Burgundy and Pinot