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baja california, grenache, mexico, sauvignon blanc, valle de guadalupe -

mexican wine

Mexico is, of course, known more for its tequila and mezcal than for its wines. Domestic consumption of wine is low, which hasn't helped the development of the industry. However, there are plenty of wineries in various regions across Mexico who are determined to express the terroirs of Mexico. Mexico's wine never developed essentially because of the Spanish. Mexico was the jewel in Spain's imperial crown, and the Spanish were extremely protective of the newly conquered country. Vines were first planted under an edict from Cortés in the 1520s, and wine was becoming a successful industry until the Spanish saw...

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costers del segre, monastrell, spain -

lost in the supermarket

I'm all lost in the supermarketI can no longer shop happilyI came in here for that special offerA guaranteed personality —The Clash, Lost in the Supermarket Before I entered the wine industry, I usually bought wine at the supermarket with my regular groceries. I knew a little about wine, but my purchases were simply based on price and place. For instance, I usually bought wine from France or Spain because I’d been on holiday there many times.  There’s nothing wrong with that approach, based on familiarity and reminiscence. There’s one wine I used to buy regularly, called “Llebre” which means...

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cagnulari, cannonau, italy, nero d'avola, sardinia -

italian island wines

The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily have long, indivual winemaking traditions with many local varieties as well as others found across the Mediterranean. blackpoolmatt's wine club has three new wines from the two islands which demonstrate the range of styles made there. Cagnulari When tasting Italian wine, there's always something unexpected. I had never heard of the grape variety, Cagnulari, before, but it turns out it's a clone of the Rioja grape, Graciano. Even though Sardinia is now a part of Italy, it's a Mediterranean island with Spanish and Catalan influence as seen in some of the varieties planted...

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carignan, france, st-chinian -

carignan

Carignan is one of my favorite grape varieties. It produces wines with a meaty, spicy, black fruit character, high acidity, and a firm tannic structure. It's great on its own and also contributes greatly to blends in southern France and eastern Spain, especially with Grenache/Garnacha. Winemakers across the world are beginning to realize the full potential of Carignan and there are some extremely exciting wines being made. But ... Carignan is a high-yielding variety and if those yields are unchecked the wines can be dilute and astringent. In the 1970s and 80s it was the most planted variety in both...

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rioja, spain, tempranillo -

rioja

Imagine you're a pilgrim in the 900s. Yes, the 900s not the 1900s. You set off from France from Paris or the volcanic town of Le Puy-en-Velay or St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees. Your mission is to view the relics of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela on the Atlantic Coast in Galicia. There are songs, stories, prayers as you walk. There also has to be wine because it's a long, long trek, but where to get it from? The pilgrims encountered several wine regions as they walked, and one of them was Rioja. Producers discovered the pilgrims too, and sold...

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