Twenty years ago, when I first started out in the wine trade, organic wines were a rare find. In viticulture classes, I was taught the importance of regular chemical fungicide spraying regimes. Vines were carefully tended to pristine, bare…
How to choose sparkling wines for the holidays in 2024? Every year I get asked for my top picks. Happily, over the past couple of months, I have tasted a wide range of great sparkling wines, at all price…
Nearly a decade in the making, the Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru terroirs are finally approved. From the 2024 vintage onwards, four climats can proudly bear the 1er Cru mention on their labels. In an exciting development for the…
Ornellaia 2021 is as powerful and generous a vintage as its cuvée name suggests. Over the years, this iconic Super Tuscan house has achieved a the fine balancing act of consistency and evolution. I recently sat down to taste…
Pantelleria is a rugged, volcanic island known for its abundance of seafood, its capers, and its famous sweet wine made from Zibibbo, Passito di Pantelleria. In May 2024, I hopped on a plane in Trapani to check out the…
Go big or go home. This is the “America” portrayed in our media. Risk-takers, visionaries, scrappy dreamers building empires, unabashed displays of prosperity. Big houses, big cars, big companies, big wines… Does the stereotype still hold true for California…
Restaurant wine lists are often infuriatingly opaque, and – in my opinion – getting increasingly so over time. Too often they simply list a producer name, a wide, generic designation (Vin de France, anyone?), and a vintage. We are…
Last month in Montréal, an important event took place. Hundreds from the global wine trade gathered, in-person and online, to discuss the most pressing issues facing our industry. The two-day Tasting Climate Change conference saw renowned experts from around…
Abruzzo wines are often consumed as a cheap and cheerful pizza pairing but this mountainous region on the Adriatic coast has undergone an impressive quality revolution in recent years. Learn all about what makes Abruzzo wines so interesting in…
A guide to the major sparking wine styles to help you find the best bubblies for your holiday gatherings! Discover the flavours of Cava, Prosecco, Crémant, Pét Nat, Champagne, and more! …