Blame climate change, young people leading busy urban lives and our capricious natures. Whatever the reasons, Spain’s Rioja region is diversifying, and this week I was invited to sample new and old red wines that demonstrate this. The result was cheering, with a good mix of wines, some of which make me want to head […]
Travels
When I travel, I drink wine. In fact, I usually organize my travels around learning about it because wine isn't a beverage, it's a culture.
Winespeak: Why we say Valais, not the Valais
Swiss cantons have official designations in German, French, Italian and English. Note that the English name is not “The Valais”, but Valais, with English usage clearly defined by the Swiss Confederation’s official style guide.
Jura Wine: book review
The French Jura is just over the border for many of us in western Switzerland, but it is possibly one of the French wine regions we know the least. Wink Lorch, a British wine teacher and writer, began exploring it at the start of this century while she was spending part of every year in […]
Biodynamic wines and the lunar eclipse
The impact of the lunar eclipse on my glass of wine was zero because I was wisely sipping hot lemon and ginger tea at 4:30 this morning, a chilly wind rustling the nearby palm trees loudly. I had slept for 4 hours, then woke up to see if the moon show was worth my time. […]
Swiss winery wins world tourism “public choice” vote
Celliers de Sion, the year-old wine tourism centre in Sion, is capping its first year with yet another prize: the “public choice award” among the international finalists at the Great Wine Capitals of the World wine tourism awards. The new venture was given an “international best of wine tourism award” in Adelaide, Australia in early […]