Ciliegiolo is a very old red grape variety grown in central Italy, most notably in Tuscany. For a long time it was used as a blending variety in the two Chianti appellations, but there is now a growing list of mono-varietal wines produced exclusively from Ciliegiolo, particularly close to the
Earlier this year, I attended a rare tasting of wines from members of the Association of Historical SuperTuscans. Predominantly hailing from the 2016 vintage, these were a joy to taste and and a reminder that they remain some of the finest wines in the world. As Tuscany’s wine scene
It’s mid afternoon in Eastern Georgia and an October sun loiters in the boundless blue sky. A shimmering heat haze lingers over the Alazani river plain, distorting the vast snow capped profile of the Caucusses. We’re just over 100km from Tbilisi, in the Kakheti region’s principle winemaking
Etna’s evocative landscapes conjure thoughts of vibrant wines that bristle with energy, tart fruit and fiery acidity. The territory is in vogue right now and even with rapidly rising prices the wines are an easy sell. Reds from Nerello Mascalese have driven the recent renaissance, but I predict it
I look at the growing interest around single vineyard Prosecco and contemplate the significance of heroic viticulture. How important is terroir in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG appellation and can we taste it in the glass?
Over the last decade or so I’ve built up a little cellar. It’s full of all sorts of wonderful things, but also plenty of wines that are surely past their best. ‘From the cellar’ is a new idea for a monthly column where I’ll raid the racks
From the cellar looks at old wines from various cellars around the world. The aim isn’t to find the most prestigious labels, but wines that might surprise and delight.
Timorasso represents one of the great comebacks of the Italian wine scene. All but lost to the archives of history it was rescued by winemaker Walter Massa and not only kept in circulation harvest after harvest, but elevated to the podium as one of the country’s great white wines.
Earlier in May I was in Sicily for Sicilia En Primeur. With groups of journalists heading all over the island for in depth tastings and visits, before reconvening in Taormina, the event represents a huge annual showcase of Sicily's continued evolution. I opted to go to Marsala, to
Visiting Bordeaux for a few days for the panoramic tasting of the 2021 vintage.
Don’t let the romantic archaeological sites, coastal lakes, beaches, thermal springs, and nature reserves fool you. This is one of the most dangerous places on earth make to wine. Paul Caputo tastes through some of the Campi Flegrei’s best white wines and discovers an appellation growing in confidence,
Between judging at 5 Star Wines in Verona and VinItaly I was able to find a few days of visiting and tasting in Barolo with Chris Barnes of Grape Collective in New York. Here are some snaps. Onwards to Caastello di Verduno.
Photo diary
I was a panel chairman during the 5 Star Wine competition held in Verona. Once the business of judging was over, it's a great chance to catch up with old friends and of course meet new ones. The Wine Spectator Opera Wine event followed as a prelude to
Grapes
Stanušina is a red grape variety native to North Macedonia. Despite its interesting potential, especially in an age where consumers seek lighter, fresher wines, the variety is extremely rare and cultivated commercially by only a handful of wineries. 🗺️ Where it grows Also known as Black Stanušina, the grape is theoretically
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Despite its historic pedigree, the Falanghina grape has spent recent decades in the doldrums. For too long it has resided on the periphery of Italian wine chat, and is generally considered to be one of Southern Italy’s provincial jug wines. Over the last few years however, it has arguably
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A collaboration with De Burris, producers of Amarone della Valpolicella.
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An article about winery architecture which includes notes on the Cité du Vin, Antinori's Tuscan winery and Bodegas Ysios in Rioja.
Photo diary
In February 2020 I flew in to Caglairi for a few days in order to judge at the relatively new Concorso di Vermentino, a competition designed to showcase Sardinia's top expressions of the Vermentino grape, a variety blessed with massive potential for fine, mineral rich white wines. The
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You can also read this article on Vinorandum, where it won the Millesima Blog Award for Wine Reporter. Pantelleria is one of the most interesting terroirs in Italy. Known as the black pearl of the Mediterranean, this secluded Sicilian island is entirely volcanic, formed through a series of eruptions that
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You can also read this article on vinorandum.com > here The Gavi denomination knocks out around six million bottles a year. The bulk of this output is undertaken by large bottlers, many of them focussed on interests elsewhere in Piedmont - Asti in particular. This approach has done much
Travel
Guagnano is one of the key winemaking villages of Salento. More specificially it's home to some of the best vineyards in Puglia's classic DOC of Salice Salentino. Here, bush vines of Negroamaro planted up to a century ago provide premium quality grapes capable of making stunning
Photo diary
The Dolcetto grape has two capitals - Ovada and Dogliani. The small village of Castelleto d'Orba is a stone's throw from Ovada, and here, the Tacchino family cultivate the variety in order to create a wine capable of ageing. You can see my profile of Azienda
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I spent a few days seeing Liguria for the first time. Starting off in La Spezia and heading west along the coast, virtually as far as San Remo, I was able to get a feel for the terrain that characterises appellations such as Cinque Terre DOC, Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC
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Here are a few notes from my recent four day study tour to Hungary, courtesy of HungarianWines.eu, the PR and marketing arm of the brilliant Ágnes Németh and Tamás Dobos. The format was a whistle-stop tour of Hungary by bus that incorporated the awards ceremony of the Hungarian Wine