Syrah is on my mind this week, especially young Syrahs and how to best serve them. We’ve had two recently, at our house, both of which I carafed, and I recommend you go this route. The difference was noticeable and brought out much more in the wines. The first was a St Joseph Syrah from […]
Archives for February 2019
St Joseph and Côte Rôtie, steeped in Syrah
I was visiting wineries in the heart of the Côte Rôtie appellation, one of 28 AOCs in France’s Rhone Valley region. It is arguably the most exclusive of the AOCs, with some of the most refined and often most expensive wines.
The many landscapes of Swiss wines in winter
This has been a busy travel week with visits to wineries in several cantons. The many faces of this country’s physical landscape are a never-ending pleasure, even in winter.
Uncork now, 14 February 2019
This week, two more Swiss red blends, at affordable prices, like last week. But this time the two are very different, one from Vétroz in Valais and the other from the Côte d’Orbes in Vaud. As a bonus, a wine for special moments and a reminder that some wines need more time. Rebbio 2017 from […]
Winespeak: vine body parts
It’s high season for pruning vines in Switzerland, the job grape growers say determines whether or not they will have the best possible grapes. I spent a chilly afternoon learning to prune vines.