Tony Bish made his reputation as winemaker for Sacred Hill in Hawke’s Bay. While he remains a consultant and a shareholder in the company, his interests have moved away from…
New York State (2) Ravines, Finger Lakes
My first visit in Finger Lakes was a good one. Ravines, located on Seneca Lake, is owned by Morten Hallgren. Morten was raised in Provence, where his family had a…
Visiting Zarate with Eulogio Pomares, one of the most exciting producers in Rías Baixas, Spain
Zarate is a family winery based in Meaño, in the Salnés Valley in Rías Baixas. Since the 1950s this winery has been an important player in working with the Albariño…
Judging the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards
For a long time the main wine competition in New Zealand was the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. After last year’s competition they decided to pull their sponsorship and focus…
Two lovely Syrahs from Dard & Ribo
Dard & Ribo are one of the top producers of the Northern Rhône, but unless you hang in natural wine circles you probably won’t have heard of them. The hallmark…
Cape Wine (6) exploring Italian grape varieties in South Africa
What is it with Italy’s grape varieties? They are really interesting in Italy, but seldom travel well. Still, they attract their devotees, and they are planted in a range of…
Cape Wine (3) some highlights: Hogan, Savage, Blackwater
So many good wines tasted over the last few days! I’m going to write up notes on some of my favourites, but really it seems unfair just to pick out…
In Niagara: Peller Estates/Trius
The winery that is currently known as Peller Estates (with its brand, Trius) is now in its third iteration. Back in the 1970s, very early days for the region, it…
In Niagara, Canada: Jackson-Triggs/Arterra
Jackson-Triggs is an important winery for Canada. The story begins back in 1989, when Dr Allan Jackson, who managed the Canadian wine company of brewer Labatt, joined forces with Donald…