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marsanne, northern rhône, rhône, roussanne, st-joseph, syrah -

northern rhône

The northern Rhône is such a classic region that we sometimes forget that its history and geography is quite complex and diverse. This is seen in the river itself: it starts in Switzerland and winds it way down to Lyon where it joins the river Saône and moves to the northern Rhône and all the way to the Mediterranean. In the southern Rhône, it's relatively straight, but in the northern Rhône it meanders back and forth. The bends in the northern Rhône define the styles of wine made there. The curvy direction of the river push the land up into...

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alto adige, campania, civitella d'agliano, fiano, lazio, vigneti delle dolomiti -

new italian whites

Italian white wine has gone through many phases: overly oxidised before the introduction of stainless steel in the 1960s; overly commericalized wines from regions like Gavi; fresh, clean, quality wines from Friuli; and the re-emergence of quality wines from historic regions like Verdicchio de Matelica. Now, we're seeing small, lesser-known areas getting more appreciation and understanding. There are three new, distinctly different Italian whites in blackpoolmatt's wine club, which, as always, pair perfectly with food. Sergio Mottura "Latour a Civitella" Civitella d’Agliano IGT 2020 The wines of Lazio, the region which Rome is in, don't get much international love but...

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gaillac, loin d'oeil, malvasia di lipari, nero d'avola, sicily -

reliving the moment

I just went to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" in Sonoma. It had been a hot day, and it was refreshing to be outside as the night air cooled while listening to wonderful music. Her story is extraordinary: a shy, young songwriter who together with her partner Gerry Gordin created some of the most famous songs of the 1960s. After they separated, she became a singer herself, moving to Los Angeles to make her first album, Tapestry, released in 1971. What's this got to do with wine? Well, a sense of invigoration, a feeling of what moves and excites...

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champagne, vouvray -

château sonoma bubbles club

For the past few years, I've teamed up with Château Sonoma to provide sparkling wine for their loyal customers. Château Sonoma is a French inspired shop on Sonoma plaza here in California, providing French goods, antiques, and ambience. It's also family: my sister-in-law has run the shop for over twenty years and my office is just a block away. I want to share the three wines in the latest shipment (which are quarterly) because it's such an exciting line-up. I taste so many wines—thousands a year—to assess their quality and these three just hit the spot. Retasting them before putting...

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pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, tannat, uruguay -

uruguay

Uruguay is a small country that gets overlooked, sandwiched between the much larger Brazil and Argentina. It was founded in 1828 as a buffer between those two South American giants, and from the outside it may seem that this country of three million people is nothing more than a geographical anomaly. But its capital city, Montevideo, was the main port for South America under Spanish rule and was the centre of philosophical debate in the late nineteenth century, which led to Uruguay hosting and winning the first football World Cup in 1930. And they won the World Cup again in...

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