When I saw Stefano Campatelli again in Houston in late January, I commented to him once more that “Baby Brunello” is a terrible moniker for Rosso di Montalcino, a diminutive that immediately describes it as no more than second-best. He nodded, and replied diplomatically that there was not much that
Jean-Marie Guffens Went From Media Darling to Police Handcuffs (read part 1), and He’s Never Been Happier. Here’s Why Part II: The Big Knife If Jean-Marie Guffens's wines are even better today than they were in the 1990s, why is he struggling? Guffens doesn’t have a simple answer, but he wants
Jean-Marie Guffens Went From Media Darling to Police Handcuffs, and He’s Never Been Happier. Here’s Why Part I: France vs. Guffens On a brisk, sun-splashed day in Provence, the man who was once the white-hottest winemaker in the world sits at a long table studded with nearly 40 open bottles.
The Greeks may have been the architects of democracy, but they seem to have taken more time to build reputable wine. The wine history on the island of Crete stretches 3,500 years, but it has only been since 2003 that Crete has achieved a modicum of success. To comprehend this
As usual, before Vinitaly my email box is full of invitations to events: press conferences, round tables, seminars, workshops, etc. And as usual, due to lack of time, I have to decline the most of them. But this time there was an invitation that intrigued me: a tasting of torbato.
I first discovered wine at the tender age of nineteen on a trip to Italy -- ostensibly to learn how to sing. I spent that summer learning more about Umbrian and Tuscan reds than I did about singing and have been spoiled rotten ever since. It is a terrible thing
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is distinctive, but why? The Science of Sauvignon Blanc by wine writer and plant science Ph.D. Jamie Goode explores a host of recent scientific research topics in many facets of sauvignon blanc prodcution. The book, funded by the New Zealand Winegrowers’ levy-funded research program, sets out to
In 2010, the Chinese takeover of the fine wine investment market was big news. Premium Bordeaux futures were selling like hot cakes, particularly off the back of the 2008 vintage (the Chinese symbol for the number 8 is considered to be very auspicious), and any fine wine merchant worth his