OBADIAH IS NO PHOENIX
THE HARD DECISION has taken a year. The Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery at Charlton Orchard Farm in Charlton, Massachusetts, will not be rising, like the legendary bird, from its ashes to provide us with the pleasures of its fruit and grape wines and hard ciders. Recall that the winery was... Read More
CHIANTI CLASSICO THE SEARCH FOR TUSCANY’S NOBLEST WINE
CHIANTI CLASSICO THE SEARCH FOR TUSCANY’S NOBLEST WINE Bill Nesto, MW + Frances di Savino hardcover THIS BOOK TELLS the story of the ancient land named Chianti and the modern wine appellation known as Chianti Classico. In 1716, Tuscany’s penultimate Medici ruler, Cosimo III, anointed the region of Chianti, along... Read More
U.S. SALES ARE STRONG
IT WAS A good summer for wine sales in the US, according to the latest findings by Wines Vines Analytics. Total US sales increased 3% in July to reach $2.9 billion, and direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipments rose by 23% to $82 million. The DtC growth is coming off a small base,... Read More
BULK WINE IS BIG
THE GROWING bulk wine category now accounts for 38.6% of global wine exports, with 39.49 million hectoliters exported around the world last year. In comparison, bottled wine accounted for 54.3% of global exports and sparkling wine just 7.1%. Since the year 2OOO, bulk wine has grown its total share of... Read More
BAD WEATHER BLUES
THE WEATHER has not been kind to France. Wine production is likely to be 1O% lower this year than in 2O15 because of bad frost in the spring and a late summer heatwave. A production of 42.9 million hectolitres (944 million gallons) is forecast for 2O16, down from last year’s... Read More
SOUTH AFRICAN CHENIN BLANC
By Harvey Finkel Chenin blanc, a grape that gets little respect, sometimes with good reason, yields truly great wines when handled right, wines of character and balance, and the durability to age gracefully into honeyed treasures. It is versatile enough to be made credibly into almost any style of wine,... Read More
ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH
THE MODERN COCKTAIL No 2 1 ounce of blended Scotch whisky 2 ounces of Sloe Gin 1 dash of orange bitters 1 dash of Absinthe 1 dash of grenadine Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. By Pink Lady AS THE MORNINGS GROW... Read More
GRENACHE/GARNACHA
By Sandy Block, MW GRENACHE, or Garnacha as it’s known in its country of origin, , is my favorite underdog red grape. Although it may be beginning to achieve some measure of the recognition it deserves, for decades Grenache has contributed anonymously to blends such as Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas,... Read More