Diary of a wine writer 5: a vision of the future
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Italian wine
Diary of a wine writer 4: what’s next?
After the exhilaration of hearing that the Classic Wine Library has agreed to publish my book on The Wines of Piemonte, what’s next? First, just revel in that sentence! And then over the next months and years, I can focus on one great Italian region and get into it in real depth. There is always a
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Diary of a wine writer 3: cue celebration!
In my last post, I reported that Piemonte won the race over Tuscany and Campania/ Basilicata. But can I persuade a publisher that this is a good subject … and that I am the person to write the book? I am a fan of the Classic Wine Library. It was founded 50 years ago and
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Diary of a wine writer 2: choices
As I explained in my last blog post, I have now completed my wine studies and have decided I would like to write a book. This is probably going to mean choosing between Italian regions. But what is the subject going to be? Readers of this website will know that I have devoted much of
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Castello di Radda
Radda is probably my favourite Chianti Classico commune. With elevations up to 550m, sweeping slopes and dense forests, it is the coolest part of Chianti Classico. Historically, the challenge was to ripen grapes fully. Radda is also home to a number of great wineries, Montevertine, Volpaia and Monteraponi to name a few. The revived Castello
My favourite wines
My favourite wines – for a special occasion, celebrating the end of MW exams
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How does a vine gets the nutrients it needs?
In my last post Mineral muddle, I wrote about Alex Maltman’s new book on geology, soils and the vine. His main concerns are geology and soils. But along the way, he explains how a vine gets the nutrients it needs. Reading this book reminded me that these basic processes are rarely explained outside of scientific circles.
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Like, admire or love?
I recently held a small tasting of Tuscan reds, mostly Sangiovese-based which raised intriguing questions about how much we like a wine. The occasion was the opportunity to taste the glossy wines of Podere Forte (which I review at length here) alongside some Tuscan classics. The rest of the group tasted the three Podere Forte
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Ruffino’s top wines
Ruffino is a large wine company with an annual turnover of €100m. It was founded in Pontassieve, the gateway to the Chianti sub-region of Rúfina, in 1877 and has since gone from strength to strength. The Riserva Ducale (‘reserved for the Duke’) line is named in honour of the Duke of Aosta. Back in 1890
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