Features Archives - Page 3 of 59 - Circle of Wine Writers

Quality perception concerns from the Cape

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Michael Fridjhon

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Switzerland surprises with staggering assortment of grapes

Posted on August 28, 2024August 30, 2024 by Sue Eames

Sue Eames discovers that the Swiss wine scene isn’t solely about Chasselas, far from it in fact, and is spoilt for choice with a plethora of exciting indigenous varieties, crossings and PIWIs, to choose from. Judging in any wine region is always a great opportunity to visit local wineries and explore the latest trends, and our trip to Le Mondial du Chasselas in Aigle, Switzerland, in late May was...

Komarna breaks through

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Dijana Grgić

Dijana Grgić reports from the sun- and sea-kissed, rocky region that represents a remarkable coming together of man and machine, and is the only exclusively organic growing area in Croatia. Komarna is the youngest wine growing area in Croatia, located in an extremely rocky area, with a plethora of sunny days in the year. It was here, in the early 2000s, that machines ground down through the ston...

Tasting history

Posted on August 28, 2024August 30, 2024 by Dominic Buckwell

Dominic Buckwell raids his own cellar and pours his collection of Château-Grillet wines to a prestigious and appreciative panel, to mark the launch of Liberation Tardive, a new not-for-profit organization that seeks to ensure the market delivers available stocks of older wines. How does it feel to taste something from history? A tiny appellation in Northern Rhône, with Roman origins acclaimed by ...

Leonardslee Family Estates launch and Defined Wine tasting

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues tells the rags-to-riches tale of Penny Streeter, whose English venture has just released its first wines, and catches up with a contract winemaking company and some of its clients. The story is a PR dream: rags-to-riches South Africa-based woman entrepreneur buys crumbling English country house with totally neglected Grade I-listed gardens, plus nearby golf course with hotel, spends h...

Hybrid grapes take Taiwanese wine to the world

Posted on July 30, 2024July 31, 2024 by Leona De Pasquale

Review of Vienna’s VieVinum 2024

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Jochen Erler

From the Chair: Wine writing reimagined

Posted on July 30, 2024February 5, 2025 by Meg Maker

Circle Chair Meg Maker reflects on the changing world of wine writing in her inaugural column for The Circular. Wine and spirits writers are a creative lot. We’re cultural commentators, observers who tap into the shape-shifting zeitgeist, so we can frame the product in ways that connect. We imagine new words to meet the moment, modifying or inventing language to say what we mean. All languages...

A summer pause and reflection on Let’s talk about…

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Liz Sagues

Summer has brought a brief break in the Circle's Let's talk about... online seminars, but they will be back again very soon, says Liz Sagues. On 3rd September, Alder Yarrow launches the autumn-winter programme with session number 106 as he takes us behind the scenes at the Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative database of old vine vineyards around the globe. Alder, pionee...

Istrian winemakers delight the crowd at the 30th edition of Vinistra

Posted on June 29, 2024June 29, 2024 by Dijana Grgić

Dijana Grgić enjoys some marvellous Malvasias and other local treats at the event held on the Istrian peninsula, which is fast becoming a Croatian classic. The 30th anniversary of Vinistra saw exhibition spaces adorned with the colours of the new logo, which is in the shape of a bunch of grapes, and the different sizes of the berries symbolise the unity of Istrian winemakers. It is precisely this...