Edgardo (Edy) del Popolo and Davi Bonomi took Paz Levinson and I out to see their Monasterio vineyard, high in Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley. Here, at 1500 metres…
Some profound(?) thoughts prompted by this Loire trip
Terroir is a creative act between people and a place. Terroir only exists in the context of a wine, and wine is a creative act as a winegrower seeks to…
Does extended maceration obscure terroir?
Does extended maceration, to the extent that occurs in many amphora or orange wines, obscure or trump site and grape variety? This was a really good question that I was…
In action: the video from my talk on minerals and terroir in Barcelona
So the video of my talk from the Wine and Culinary Forum (nice review of the forum here from top Canadian wine journo Treve Ring) is finally live and posted…
Site-specific Chenin Blanc from Mullineux – Quartz and Schist
As you all know, Chenin Blanc is officially one of the two coolest white grape varieties, along with Riesling. Chenin’s attributes are its good acidity, its structure, its ageability, its…
White Stones and White Bones: terroir-based Chardonnays from Catena
It was very interesting to try these two high-end terroir-based Chardonnays from Catena, and then the next day to have a look at the soils that produced them. They both…
The mystery of soils and wine, part 1
To the ancients, the idea that plants are formed from the soil would have seemed self-evident. The communion between the roots and the earth suggests that the composition of plants,…
What the Wellington Ukulele Orchestra tells us about terroir
On Friday night I went to a strange but enjoyable concert. Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson were hosting a gig by the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra. There were quite a few…
Some thoughts on Central Otago and the sense of place in wine
As I write I am flying from Queenstown to Christchurch after less than a full day spent in Central Otago, one of the most visually striking wine regions on the…