September 1 is #CapClassiqueDay, a day set aside to celebrate South Africa’s premium sparkling wines. Cap Classique is made using Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) — the traditional method (as in Champagne) where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. These sparkling beauties are made in a variety of styles, from grape varieties that you might expect and a few […]
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region is a warm one. João Barroso, Director of Sustainability for Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program (WASP), recently told a group of wine media and writers during a teleconference that the region routinely experiences some of the warmest temperatures in Europe. It is also prone to drought. These factors coupled with climate change prompted the region’s wineries […]
Anne Bousquet questioned her father’s 1997 purchase of nearly 1000 acres in remote Gualtallary in Argentina’s Mendoza region with humor, asking, “What are you doing? Buying a beach? All sand, no sea?” Well, Jean Bousquet has had the last laugh as Domaine Bousquet is now well established with certified-organic vineyards in the Tupungato district of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, a modern […]
Tasmania lies off Australia’s south coast and is separated from the rest of Australia by Bass Strait. The Australian island state is cool, windswept and largely wild. Tasmania is home to a small wine industry defined by one GI (geographical indication), Tasmania, and seven informal wine growing regions. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the two most-planted varieties, so they are […]
In October 2019 we traveled to Australia for the first time. We discovered a beautiful country with varied landscape and very friendly people. I’m happier now than I could have imagined that we made the trip. The impetus for our visit was the Wine Media Conference held in the Hunter wine region. We gathered for three days at the Crowne […]
How important is the right wine glass to your enjoyment of wine? Do you have a favorite shape of wine glass or favorite brand? I admit that I do have a favorite wine glass, or I thought I did, and the right glass has become an essential part of my wine enjoyment. But, as with wine, I try to keep […]
This year we are celebrating Malbec World Day in grand style by sipping five Malbecs from Argentina. And even though Malbec originated in France, the variety is now most closely associated with Argentina. We received these wines as tasting samples. When I open Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, including their Origins and Flavours by Jancis Robinson, […]
Wine was not the primary reason we traveled to Namibia, but once we discovered there are several commercial wineries located in this arid African county we made it our mission to taste wine from as many of them as we could. It took two trips, but we have now tasted wine from all four commercial wineries in Namibia and visited […]
Every time we participate in a Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW) event it is a learning experience with regard to pairing food and wine. I learn from my successful pairings and from those that are not so successful. I always learn about wine too. This month’s theme, German Wine Exploration, was particularly challenging for me. I admit to finding German wine […]
Today’s Cellar Note includes two varietal wines and a red blend that highlight the large number of grape varieties grown in Santa Barbara County. All are produced by Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, a winery established and owned by two long-time friends and their families. All three wines, which we received as tasting samples, are sourced from Lucas & Lewellen estate […]
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.