Wines of the lake and the mountains

Keith Grainger zones in on beautiful Bardolino, with its myriad of soil types and mesoclimates, charting the key and ever-increasing role played by the classy Corvina in its well-known red blend. He also sips saline, crispy Chiarettos. Let me begin this article at the bottom. I well remember the nadir of the wines of the Veneto and other northern Italian regions. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the...
Read More

Meet the Friend: Neil Palmer, Vintage Roots

Neil Palmer is the Founder and Director of organic wine importer Vintage Roots, which he founded at the age of 26 with his friend Lance Pigott. In this Meet the Friend interview, Amanda Barnes finds out how Neil’s harvesting experiences in his 20s sparked a lifelong passion for wine and reggae.   What got you into wine?  Well, it was Dad who first showed me how to use a corkscrew. He liter...
Read More

The benefit of going Pro on Wine-Searcher

Wink Lorch explores the benefit of one of The Circle's Benefits — a complimentary Pro subscription to Wine-Searcher. She delves into all the reasons why this 23-year-old platform offers more than first meets the eye and can be a useful tool for wine communicators. As I write, Wine-Searcher, which was established in 1999 in London by Martin Brown (also designer of a pioneering website for Berry Br...
Read More

My wine Bucket List

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

The future of Madeira wine

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

Reviving Carema with hiking boots, heart, and grit

Marisa Finetti is not only blown around, but also blown away by Nebbiolo from the Alpine foothills in the northern part of Piedmont, and the incredible effort and unswerving dedication taken to grow it.    The wind snapped my umbrella inside out. The impression of Carema while standing on the edge of the dramatic hillside on this blustery day was quickly leaning toward sheer intensity. Fede...
Read More

Saving and savouring South Africa’s veteran Vitis vinifera

During judging at the Michelangelo Awards competition, Michèle Shah took time out to visit to the Old Vine Project in Stellenbosch, where she witnessed the wonderful work of André Morgenthal and Rosa Kruger. Being based in Stellenbosch on my recent visit, the traditional heart of the South African wine industry, presented a great opportunity to meet up with André Morgenthal and Rosa Kruger, who s...
Read More

Amarone and the opera

Filippo Magnani finds the famous wine of Valpolicella, made in a more refined contemporary style, goes together splendidly with a spot of Verdi, even in the summer season. The body and intensity of Amarone is traditionally associated with winter, wonderful if enjoyed in front of a warm, cosy fireplace. In fact, the anteprime dedicated to Amarone della Valpolicella has always been held in the earl...
Read More