Locations reviews

Berry Bros. & Rudd – Some History and the Women Behind the Brand

On my way to 67 Pall Mall Wine Club for a meeting, I had some time, so I wandered into No.3…Just stepping through the front door it was a feast for my senses …. the ancient floorboards, mahogany wall paneling, antique furniture, Royal Warrants, old wine books and catalogs.  Looking closer I saw portraits of […]

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Discovering the Wine Secrets of Southeastern Sicily – Filippo Magnani

There are two things you can be sure of when taking a food and wine itinerary in Sicily: you will always learn something new, and you will always leave a piece of your heart there when you leave. From the 13th to the 15th of July a well-organized press tour by Assovini Sicilia, led a

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Delaire Graff Estate, South Africa – Part ll Wine Tasting

History The estate was founded in 1679 by Simon van der Stel. Simon brought with him a sound knowledge of viticulture. In 1982 John Platter (wine writer) purchased the estate which was then known as Avontuur. Looking at the magnificent view, John decided to rename the wine farm Delaire Estate, meaning “From the Sky”. Laurence

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Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa – Part 1 The Owner’s Villa

I recently had the distinct pleasure of having a personal tour of Laurence Graff’s private villa also known as “Owner’s Villa” at Delaire Graff Estate. The Owners Villa is also available to rent out (by application) if available for $25,000 USD/night. The estate is anchored on the vineyard slopes of Botmanskop, high above the Helshoogte

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Airbnb Adds a ‘Vineyards’ Category [ with 100,000+ Winery Vacation Experiences]

Last month Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky announced, at a media event in New York, the vacation rental platform’s new features, including a website redesign that now focuses on “Categories”. The 56 Categories were created through machine learning, Airbnb’s curation team and reflect industry trends. According to the company, nights booked in the first quarter of

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New Sweetness Scale for Alsace wine labels

A standardized sweetness guide will be required on all Alsace wine labels starting with wines produced from the 2021 harvest. While most French wines are labeled by origin, wines from Alsace are indicated by grape variety and location information, including if the wine is from one of the 51 grand crus. Now wine buyers and trade can also

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Bolgheri, a wine territory in the pursuit of excellence – Filippo Magnani

The first edition of “Bolgheri Divino” celebrates a unique and cohesive vision of the producers….  On September 4th, 2021, the Consortium of Bolgheri and Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC gathered 65 vintners of the DOC to tell their story of the land and its winemaking excellence, through personalities and productions. The event was named “Bolgheri DiVino.” It

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“Anteprima 2021”- Wine Preview of Vernaccia di San Gimignano by Filippo Magnini 

“The ancient crowned hill through the eyes of the queen grape” When you are in the direction of San Gimignano, in the heart of Tuscany, you cannot help but be enveloped by the magical atmosphere, you get catapulted into a fairy-tale. The hills of “Queen Vernaccia” crown the city of San Gimignano; at its foot

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New Chianti Classico subzones or ‘UGAs’ have been approved

Last week at the June 2021 assembly of Chianti Classico’s governing Consorzio, a “very large majority” of Consorzio members approved changes to the disciplinare that have the potential to put some separation between the Riserva and the Gran Selezione levels. Here are two key aspects to the proposal: Focus on Sangiovese and native grape varieties

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