Category: Articles

Wine Review:  Réserve de la Terre – Champagne Telmont is an elegant and sustainable choice for Valentine’s Day!

I invite you to immerse yourself in elegance and sustainability this Valentine’s Day with a bottle of Réserve de la Terre – Champagne Telmont. This champagne will not only tantalize your palate but also exemplify environmentally sustainable practices.

Réserve de la Terre is a non-vintage cuvée made from three harvests: 2020 at 70%, 2019 at 15%, and 2018 at 15%, with blends of three grape varieties: Meunier at 37%, Chardonnay at 43%, and Pinot Noir at 20%.

Tasting Notes:  a delegate gold hue and on the nose, it presents a bouquet of fresh citrus fruits, white flowers, and subtle hints of brioche. The palate is well-balanced with flavors of green apple, and plum with a hint of spice, complemented by a fine and persistent mousse. The finish is long and refreshing, with a mineral undertone that adds complexity and depth to the overall profile.

I found this champagne to be sophisticated and elegant, while simultaneously offering a delightful sensory experience.
93 Points
Liz Palmer

History of Telmont: The House of Telmont was founded in 1912 by Henri Lhopital in Damery, a village in the heart of the Champagne region in France. Over the years, Telmont has built a reputation for producing high-quality champagnes that reflect the unique terroir of the region. The family-owned estate has always been committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, which is evident in their organic and biodynamic vineyard management. In recent years, Telmont has taken significant steps towards reducing their carbon footprint and promoting biodiversity, making them a pioneer in the world of sustainable viticulture. Telmont has converted its 24.5ha estate to organics.  The Organic Cuvée Telmont Réserve de la Terre is a testament to their dedication to preserving the environment while crafting exceptional champagnes.

Moldova to Host 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine

Moldova is set to become the world capital of wine as it hosts the 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine from June 16 to 20, 2025. This event, organized by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), will take place in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to France Corina Călugăru states – “It is an honor for the Republic of Moldova to be the global capital of wine in 2025. This event will highlight the efforts and enthusiasm of Moldovan producers, who turned winemaking into a reference sector for the country’s economy.”

OIV Director General John Barker said that the theme of this year’s congress reflects the organization’s strategic priorities: “Charting the Future of Vine and Wine: Embracing Resilience, Elevating Value, Fostering Innovation”. Barker also noted that Moldova has a “special calling” for winemaking, and this sector represents a fundamental element of the economy, culture and national history.

In the same connection, state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Andrian Digolean highlighted the spectacular progress of Moldovan winemaking. “Ten years ago, this was a dream, and today it has come true. Moldovan wines are present in over 70 countries and have won over 7,000 international awards in the last decade.”

This is an exciting time for Moldova and the global wine community! 🍷

Source:   International Organization of Vine and Wine

La Scolca Wines Take Center State at Italian-Themed Dinner Hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla

Last Friday, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted an Italian-themed dinner, at their Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, featuring an extraordinary guest list, including Helen Mirren, David and Victoria Beckham, Rod Stewart, Donatella Versace, Sienna Miller, the Italian Ambassador to the UK, Inigo Lambertini, Chiara Soldati, and the British Ambassador to Rome, Lord Edward Llewellyn. A key evening figure was Stanley Tucci, an American actor of Italian descent and an expert in Italian gastronomy. Tucci collaborated with Chef Francesco Mazzei, a long-time ambassador of Italian cuisine worldwide, to create the exclusive menu for the evening.

The reception and dinner menu, prepared by Calabrian chef Francesco Mazzei, featured Italian recipes with British ingredients and was accompanied by English sparkling wine and Italian wines.

This dinner comes ahead of the royal couple’s state visit to Italy in early April, in which there will be engagements in Rome and Ravenna, with exclusive meetings with Pope Francis and Italian political leaders.

King Charles states this as a “most splendid evening which brings together two things very dear to my heart – slow food and Italy”, and “A nation’s food culture is a priceless social and environmental asset, intimately bound up with its sense of identity and place.”

“To say that we are looking forward to it would be to engage in a little British understatement,” he joked to diners, including Stanley Tucci, who inspired the choice of food.

“To better emphasize the special friendship between the two countries,” Chef Mazzei commented, “Stanley and I thought of an Italian menu made almost entirely with products from the United Kingdom. I must say, I found some exceptional products that are in no way inferior to those from Italy. The only products I imported from Italy were extra virgin olive oil and wines.”

The Piedmontese winery La Scolca played a leading role, with its Gavi dei Gavi Black Label 2023 accompanied by two of the dishes. “It was an honor to represent Italy, my region, and my territory at such an important event,” said Chiara Soldati, CEO of La Scolca and Knight of Labour, “during which Italian lifestyle excellence was celebrated. Chef Mazzei did a wonderful job of creating a gastronomic bridge between the two countries, in a union that is not just metaphorical but between two cultures and two important traditions. Events like this provide an important opportunity to highlight the value of our gastronomic tradition and our craftsmanship, elements that make Made in Italy a globally recognized and appreciated model.”

Food + Wine Served

Reception
Rare and pasture salumi
Tuscan-style paté and coppa
Yorkshire pecorino cheese puffs
British vegetables caponata tartelletta

Wine: Highgrove sparkling wine

Dinner
Scottish crab panzanella
Westcombe ricotta and Highgrove fine herbs ravioli
Isle of Wight tomato passata
Suffolk Red porchetta
Pumpkin and sage mash, Tuscan kale

Wines: white wine Gavi dei Gavi La Scolca Black label 2023 and red wine Barbaresco Gaja 2021

Zuppa Inglese and biscotti

Wine: Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Zenato

Source:  La Scolca Wines

WHO [Europe] highlights Nordic alcohol monopolies as a comprehensive model for reducing alcohol consumption and harm

The Nordic alcohol monopolies, stores that have the exclusive right to sell most alcoholic beverages in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands, have contributed to relatively low alcohol consumption and reduced alcohol-related harm in the Nordic countries. This is a part of the WHO European Region historically known for harmful drinking patterns and high levels of associated harm.

Alcohol consumption levels in the European Union (EU) have remained largely unchanged for over a decade, making it the subregion with the highest consumption levels globally. The EU is currently not on track to meet the global and regional reduction targets for alcohol consumption.

To address this, the public health community is looking at good practices across EU countries, where alcohol consumption has been decreasing or has been kept at low levels.

The new WHO/Europe report “Nordic alcohol monopolies: understanding their role in a comprehensive alcohol policy and public health significance” highlights a comprehensive model used in the Nordic countries that other EU countries could learn from.

A model for reducing harm

Unlike for-profit alcohol sales models, the Nordic approach (excluding mainland Denmark and Greenland) restricts alcohol availability and minimizes commercial influence by preventing grocery stores and private retailers from selling stronger alcoholic beverages.

State-owned monopolies – ÁTVR in Iceland (with Vínbúðin as the retail store for alcohol), Systembolaget in Sweden, Alko in Finland, Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins in the Faroe Islands, and Vinmonopolet in Norway – operate with a clear mission: to protect public health over profit.

With limits on outlet numbers and sale hours and days, strict enforcement of age controls, and no marketing or discount pricing, these monopolies emphasize managing alcohol as a product with inherent risks, rather than treating it as an ordinary consumer product.

“This public health-first approach in the management of alcohol retail sales in Nordic countries is a great demonstration of alcohol policies that work,” says Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, Regional Adviser for Alcohol, Illicit Drugs and Prison Health at WHO/Europe.

“Countries with state-owned monopolies have lower per capita alcohol consumption compared to the EU average, and generally have lower rates of alcohol-attributable harms, which span from liver disease, cancers and cardiovascular conditions to injuries and drownings.”

Challenging pressures and threats

Despite the monopolies’ strong public support and proven health benefits, recent legislative initiatives in several Nordic countries signal a potential shift toward privatization of retail alcohol sales, which could undo decades of public health gains.

In Finland, for example, recent policy changes have allowed the sale of a large proportion of alcoholic beverages outside monopoly stores, and there is ongoing consultation on permitting home delivery of alcohol. Similarly, in Sweden, a new court case challenges the monopoly’s exclusive rights to online sales, while proposed laws would permit farm sales of alcoholic beverages.

“There is consistent evidence that the structure of the retail alcohol distribution system – in other words, how, when and where alcohol is sold – significantly affects alcohol sales,” adds Dr Ferreira-Borges. “Government monopolies on off-premises retail sales have been shown to reduce alcohol consumption while privatizing alcohol sales tends to increase consumption.”

Two significant real-world privatization events illustrate how allowing alcohol sales in grocery stores in the 1960s has historically resulted in increased consumption and associated problems in Finland and Sweden. These findings suggest that the Nordic monopolies’ strict regulation of alcohol availability and elimination of promotion and marketing at sales outlets, including online stores, are key features that contribute to reduced alcohol consumption at the population level in their respective countries.

“WHO/Europe emphasizes that expanding alcohol availability could reverse the positive public health indicators that Nordic countries have achieved over decades of controlled alcohol sales,” Dr Ferreira-Borges concludes.

A global best-practice model at risk

Nordic alcohol monopolies serve as models worldwide, showcasing the benefits of recognizing alcohol as a harmful product with considerable social, economic and health impacts that requires specific approaches to management.

They align closely with WHO’s 3 recommended best buys (affordable, feasible and cost-effective intervention strategies) for alcohol control: increasing taxes/raising prices, restricting availability and restricting advertising. These have consistently shown to be the most effective means of reducing alcohol-related harm on a broad scale.

Source: World Health Organization

Wine Institute Urges Resolution of US-Canada Dispute

The Wine Institute issued the following statement this week in response to the announcements that the United States would be placing tariffs on imports from Canada, and the Canadian government responded with retaliatory tariffs against U.S. wine. Additionally, provincial leaders across Canada’s largest provinces threaten to remove U.S. wine and beverage alcohol from their provinces in response to the U.S. tariffs.

“Canada is the single most important export market for U.S. wines with retail sales over $1.1 billion annually,” said Robert P. Koch, President & CEO of Wine Institute. “Wine is one of the U.S.’s most highly value-added agricultural exports, so any loss of access to the Canadian market will damage the entire US wine sector. Our wineries have spent decades building market share and brand loyalty across Canada. These actions put all of this at risk. In addition, all of beverage alcohol is already facing unprecedented challenges in the marketplace so these tariffs and potential product removals come at a time when their impact will be tough to absorb. We urge both governments to work together to resolve this dispute as soon as possible to minimize the economic harm.”

The U.S. wine industry has long supported the position that wine, as a unique agricultural product, should not be targeted in trade disputes unrelated to wine. Wine Institute strongly advocates for the removal of wine from all trade retaliation lists regardless of the market. Retaliatory tariffs invariably harm U.S. wine producers and impede the growth of the wine sector.