I think of terroir as the DNA of wine. If I can recognize a wine’s origin by its particular taste and aroma, then I am confident that we are talking not only about a specific region, but also about a terroir in its own right. We recognize cool or warm climates through a wine’s low…
French Merlot is in crisis. As climate change impacts weather on a global scale, this grape is experiencing some of the hottest summers on record in France, and it is largely destroying the crop across terroirs. Drought-like conditions can help wines develop bold flavors through rain-starved, concentrated juice, but there is a limit to…
More than 20 years ago, serious wine collectors never spoke about New Zealand wines. Despite an ideal climate and rocky terrain, the country’s producers only began cultivating grapevines in earnest in the late 1980s. Today, wine is New Zealand’s largest export, earning more than $1.3 billion annually. The popularity of New Zealand wines has…
Burgundy’s reputation for growing the finest Chardonnay on the market comes down to the one-of-a-kind clay, limestone, and chalk terroir that provides its wines with intense minerality. Modern winemakers clamber to buy grapes from every subregion of Burgundy, making it the region with the most widely-replanted white grape roots in the world. Terroirs in Napa…
The 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair marked the birth of Napa Valley wine tours as we know them. Under Beringer’s direction, my great uncle enticed movie stars like Clark Gable to visit the then-unknown Napa Valley wine scene for the first time shortly after Prohibition ended. Hollywood soon became enamored with the tiny, premium wineries…
For centuries, Spain has been in the shadow of its world-renowned winemaking neighbor, France. However, the land of Don Quixote is the third-largest wine producer in the world, with over one million acres dedicated to vineyards, more than any other wine-producing country on the planet. While I have been enjoying great Spanish wines for…
Spaniards live for pleasure: lazy afternoons by the seashore, big lunches with abundant wine and sherry, siestas and nightlife. I love that about Spain. If a Spaniard has one penny, he will spend it enjoying life. Wine is a big part of enjoying life in Spain, and the country has no lack of wineries.…
I was on a cruise passing near the Arctic circle when I first tried Australian Shiraz, and I have to say it has remained one of my favorite reds; it made a perfect pairing with the midnight sun. I particularly enjoy blends of Shiraz with a touch of Viognier, something Australians do as well…
Once upon a time, snapping up Bordeaux futures and cases of esteemed Burgundies like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was all the strategy a wine collector needed. But times have changed. For the past few seasons, buying Bordeaux en primeur hasn’t paid off for many investors. Great Burgundies with impeccable pedigree — like DRC —…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: Biondi Santi Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino has the longest aging requirement of all Italian wines. With a spectacular performance at international auctions and some excellent recent vintages, it has become one of the most coveted wines for collectors. Auctions have lately seen a lot of interesting Brunello action; a…