Feature Stories

There’s a predictable scenario that takes place on about every foreign press trip I attend.  Sometime over dessert during the farewell dinner, the host asks everyone to provide our thoughts on: “What is happening in the American wine (or spirits) market, and what can I do to get a bigger

“Will you come to our booth to taste the new vintage wines?” I’m asked this question many times a day by winemaker friends during Vinitaly, the annual wine trade show in Italy. And now it is asked by Fabio Bottonelli, a wine journalist colleague of mine. Because suddenly Fabio started

While it was not entirely unexpected, the recent death of Bordeaux’s great wine analyst Denis Dubourdieu of brain cancer at the age of 67 is a tragedy. I can only claim to have known him slightly from annual encounters in Bordeaux, but I valued every connection with this passionate and

English sparkling wine is now a thing. Unless you’re a sparkling wine nut like me, you might not have noticed. In fact it’s more than just a thing: English sparkling wine has been beating French Champagne in blind tastings every year, lately. Why? And why now? At some point in

There is a reason you haven’t heard too much about Brazilian wines. It’s not because Brazil is new to wine production.  It has more than 1,100 wineries, mostly in the cooler southern regions, and there are more than a quarter of a million acres under vines. But, although there are