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Kumeu River: The Kiwi Dream
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, New Zealand
, Sep 2024
Consistency, balance and a distinct house style have placed Kumeu River among the classics. From humble beginnings 80 years ago, this estate has established itself as a major player in New Zealand and around the world.
Sancerre: Combat Fatigue
featured, France: Loire
, Aug 2024
Nature can be a fickle beast, giving just as quickly as it takes away. The rollercoaster ride that elements have put on in recent years has left the grape growers of Sancerre and surrounding appellations exhausted. Their hopes rise as steeply as the Mont Damné slopes before being dashed over and over again. And yet the sun rises each morning, bringing the possibility that this might be the day when their luck changes.
Loire Chenin Blanc: Chaume the Way
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2024
Searching for its soul as well as sales, the Loire’s Chenin Blanc producers hope the creation of crus for dry whites will improve quality and their reputation on the world wine stage.
New Zealand’s Latest Red Releases: Growing Up
featured, New Zealand
, May 2024
New Zealand is considered a young wine-producing country. Its early success was built on drink-me-now Sauvignon Blanc. However, its vines and winemakers are maturing, and time is showing that the country’s wines are now coming of age some 200 years after the first vines were planted.
2023 New Zealand Whites: The Cyclone Vintage
featured, New Zealand
, Apr 2024
New Zealanders will forever remember the summer of 2023 as the year Cyclone Gabrielle swept away homes, vineyards and dreams. Wine producers on the storm-battered North Island had few reasons to smile. However, it was a different story for South Islanders: they escaped the worst of the weather’s wrath yet were burdened with survivors’ guilt as their colleagues across the Cook Strait were overwhelmed by the elements.
Loire Reds: Beyond the Unicorn
featured, France: Loire
, Jan 2024
When it comes to Loire Valley reds, there is one cult producer whose bottles consistently steal the limelight: Clos Rougeard. Following the inauguration of its revamped winery, financed by the Mariana-Trench-deep pockets of its new owners, it’s timely to consider the impact of this unicorn on local producers and international consumers.
Loire Chenin: Dividing Lines
featured, France: Loire
, Oct 2023
Chenin Blanc producers in the Loire Valley are not just divided geologically but ideologically, with widely varying interpretations of place of origin. Throw two contrasting vintages into the mix, and the diversity of the region’s latest releases is dizzying.
Book Excerpt: Vintage Crime – A Short History of Wine Fraud
featured, France: Loire, New Zealand
, Oct 2023
In her new book Vintage Crime – A Short History of Wine Fraud, Rebecca Gibb MW tells the history of wine through some of the most well-known cases of fraud, in addition to less well-documented incidents that intrigued Rebecca personally.
Sancerre’s Charm Offensive
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2023
Two thousand and twenty-two provided another warm, dry summer in Sancerre, but the wines have achieved a harmony they failed to capture in previous hot seasons. It’s time to explore why this is a more consistent and balanced vintage.
All Change: New Zealand Reds
featured, New Zealand
, Apr 2023
New Zealand has experienced a summer of upheaval: an unforeseen Prime Ministerial resignation, historic flooding, landslides, a cyclone and an egg shortage. The country’s wine industry is also in a state of flux.