Goûts et terroirs, an excellent fair The more wine tastings, competitions and other events that I attend with wine professionals, the more uncomfortable I am with that wines are almost always rated at tasting sessions without food – out of the context in which people generally drink them. Yesterday I read, on Vivino, an assessment […]
Sion’s classy new wine tourism centre
The Celliers de Sion will make skiers as well as flatlanders happy this winter, with a new wine tourism centre that has just opened, 1 December. Winter visitors to the area can now opt for an easy introduction to two of the region’s largest wineries, learning something in the process about central Valais wines. The […]
Vermouth: 10 things I learned in Barcelona
When was the last time someone told you they love vermouth? I’ve just spent 4 days tasting vermouth and when I tell people this I get odd looks and grimaces. There’s a vague idea that it is old-fashioned, too sweet, not trendy, and besides, what exactly do you do with it or like about it? […]
For the love of goats and sheep
Wine and cheese are classic buddies, and pairings from the mountains anywhere are among my favourites. I live in the Swiss Alps, at 1,100 metres, with a small herd of beautiful Val d’Hérens cows next door; in spring and fall they eat down the pastures that surround my garden, and in early winter I listen […]
Architecture and wine: Italy’s Carapace succeeds
Final article in a 4-part series Wine-alive inside a living sculpture, a photo montage The Carapace, a winery designed by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro for the Ferrari estate Tenuta Castelbuono near Montefalco, is a rarity, for it is everything an architectural masterpiece and working winery should be (see my article on Medium). The Lunelli family, […]