Philipponnat is one of the very few family-run Champagne companies left and they have been in Champagne since 1532 when their family moved to Aÿ. In 1910 they moved 10km down the road to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and in 1935 they acquired the prestigious ‘Clos de Goisses’ single vineyard. This is the jewel in the crown for them as a single vineyard producing ripe Pinot Noir grapes is very rare in Champagne. They are a medium sized company with an annual production of 600,000 bottles, so they are medium-sized by Champagne standards. They manage to supply one third of their own grapes which in Champagne, where wine grape prices are some of the highest in the world, is also quite a rare thing and gives them a degree of independence.   more »

Sometimes you need to drink something other than wine. While staying up in Bardolino alongside Italy’s beautiful Lake Garda I was captivated to see someone drinking a bright orange-gold coloured drink as an aperitif...   more »

To many people, Italians included, the south of Italy is largely unknown, ignored in favour of the wealthier and more fashionable central and northern regions, with their rich artistic and musical heritage and their historical importance; Rome, Venice, Genoa, Florence - all have played significant roles in the development of Italy, the region and the world beyond.   more »

I was very pleased to be invited to participate in the recent Wine Assessment Tasting, hosted by The Australian Wine Research Institute. Those attending included a mixture of journalists, wine educators, winemakers and trade,   more »

Having just returned from a breathless and breathtaking tour of some of Northern Spain's less well known DOs on the recent CWW trip, I am filled with even more enthusiasm for 'hidden Spain'. What attracted me to the trip initially was the allure of visiting DO Cigales and DO Bierzo but I found much more to excite me.    more »

Villány is in the south of Hungary near the Croatian border. When we arrived late at night I could see the lights across the border in Croatia from my hotel room. Our hotel was a small boutique-style establishment with a spa (which unfortunately we didn’t get to see). It is owned by the Gere family with whom our first and only visit in Villány was scheduled for the following morning.   more »

It had been more than 10 years since I last visited Vinho Verde and I was keen to see all the changes that had taken place. Lying north of Oporto, it has a lush green hilly landscape, and is dissected by fast flowing rivers – more dramatic in scenery the further north you go towards the Spanish border.   more »

Those of you familiar with the Mitchell Beazley ‘Wine Atlas’ series in the late 1980s will be familiar with the intention behind this new book on the Tokaj region.   more »

This 4 day trip was aimed mainly at exporters and trade and was very much a multinational event with delegates from Eastern Europe (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia) as well as Israel, Canada and Singapore among others.   more »

On a trip to Navarra last October I reported on the air of excited anticipation and renewed enthusiasm among the wine producers as a new president of the Consejo Regulador, the local wine regulating body, had been elected.   more »

After a long morning of lectures on topics such as organic and biodynamic viticulture, the ORWINE EU funded project and yeast populations in organic & biodynamic vineyards, we now had our first chance to get out into the vineyards at Geisenheim.   more »