Bollinger is always a treat. Whatever setting or occasion might bring you towards such a great champagne house; it’s always going to be a pleasure. For me, the last tasting was directly at the estate, so I was filled with curiosity, enthusiasm and nostalgy for another chance of a tasting. Bollinger Special Cuvée Special Cuvée…

  Châteauneuf-du-pape has often been admitted to an elitist status. However, as the overall popularity of the southern Rhône evolved with other appellations getting the spotlight, Châteauneuf started to lose consumers to less expensive wines made right next to it, especially when some Châteauneuf proved lacking the expected power and richness. Prestige and tradition is…

I had the chance to participate in a very challenging discussion concerning the Grands Crus of the world and what should be the characteristic and definition of a Grand cru within old world and new world, of course it’s the very basis of a rhetorical question. A session animated by two amazing women, Laura Catena…

As a trained and passionate sommelier, wine for me is a question of pleasure, passion and constant discovery. The world of wine constantly amazes me as it is in perpetual change and it keeps me on my toes to stay abreast of these changes. Wine should also be fun and as such should not be…

Cindy Rynning has been writing about wine on her award-winning wine blog, Grape Experiences, since 2011.  She passed the Wine and Spirit Trust (WSET) Level 3 program with Merit in 2012. Cindy is based in Chicago, Illinois and attends international and national trade tastings and media events, meets and interviews winemakers and others who share…

  It’s Château St-Antoine 10th anniversary on Quebec’s Market! The wine that succeeded in becoming the number one Bordeaux wine sold in SAQ. With this huge success it might be time to dig a little further and learn a little bit more about Vignobles Aubert. Vignobles Aubert is a family owned wine company that owns…

The uniqueness and prestige status of champagne, the product as well as the region has been proven and stated thousands of times. This is not what this text is about. Although everyone agrees over general quality level, there’s a disagreement that’s been growing in the last few years among professionals and wine lovers. This discussion,…

As the oldest winery in Chile, Viña Carmen’s reputation is not to be made. With a gigantic production and incredibly affordable products it’s even easier to remember the name. However, the estate has recently taken another turn by offering a completely different range of products called Carmen DO. These are five unique wines based on…

Château Maris is the story of a faltered and breathless vineyard in a rising appellation at the foot of the black mountains, Minervois La Livinière, that came back to life in some way. The organic and biodynamic approach was a necessity for the vineyard survival. Minervois-La-Livinière is a six-village zone disciplined and well-organised enough to…

Photo: peterlehmannwines.com Peter Lehmann is a man closely linked with the Barossa history, but the estate history is mostly one of collectivity and mutual help. In 1977, as winemaker at the Saltram winery in Barossa, he had to deal with a serious surplus of grapes. That troublesome vintage was growing into a major problem for the…