Mirafiore's story parallels that of Sleeping Beauty; a regal beginning, a long slumber, and an awakening by a "prince" to live happily ever after. Founded in 1878 by Italy's Royal Family, the Mirafiore winery is the estate that gave Barolo its famed nickname:
In the personal timeline of red wine drinking, consumers who stick with the lifelong journey often tend to progress from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to Shiraz and Syrah. As time passes, Pinot Noir becomes the red of choice, and for
Talking to Bernardino Sani, Argiano’s CEO and winemaker is energizing at the least. Still, it is his ability to tell the Argiano story and his strong connection to the property that keeps you listening. The five-century-old property has no shortage
In this episode, we travel to the Montalcino region of Tuscany to visit Pian delle Vigne, overseen by winemaker and estate director Fabio Ratto. Ratto gave us a warm welcome at the property, in part because guests are a rare occurrence at the meticulously
Sustainability is one of those words that is difficult to define unless you practice it every day, believing that achieving meaningful validation also involves people and the environment. Even more important, you have to accept that the journey is not
Eugenia Keegan comes by her love of wine genuinely. A fifth generation Sonoman, from the Russian River Valley, her love of pinot noir seems a natural, beginning with time spent at legendary pinot pioneer Joseph Swan Winery. Her professional life has taken
Frédéric Chaudière is a regular visitor to the west coast. It's always a pleasure to taste his wines, which have become ambassadors for the fast-growing quality and reputation of the Ventoux. Château Pesquié has been
Last January I touched down in Queenstown, Central Otago to participate in what proved to be a week full of pinot noir revelations and insights. The Idea and Context My last visit was seven years ago, and progress was palpable. The occasion was the
Terroir does not innately tell us which grapes to grow or what wines to bottle. Some varieties may be more suitable than others, but even that’s not static. With climate change, wine regions are necessarily exploring alternate grape varieties to
The wine industry is too focused on quality. Sure, that may be a controversial statement, but today the average bottle of wine – regardless of the region of origin – has never been better. Customers rightly assume that any winery they walk
The history of time has walked across the Roussillon, so it should come as no surprise that eventually, the ultimate terroir hunter, Michel Chapoutier, would place a wooden stake in the ground here and build a small domain at Latour-de-France. The
This past fall, we visited the famed hill of Hermitage above the town of Tain l'Hermitage in the northern Rhône Valley. Our final destination was M. Chapoutier, one of its most famous producers. The video below is the fourth in our French wine series,
Before there was Taittinger, there was Forest-Fourneaux, and before that, a man named Jacques Fourneaux. In 1734, Fourneaux collaborated with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce still and sparkling wines. It was Jacques’ great-grandson
Two days in Beaujolais earlier this fall proved rewarding as a 101 refresher of the famous French appellation, and an opportunity to get reacquainted with the beautiful stretch of wine country terroir while tasting the first wine of the year at Georges