The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening Grand Tasting in NYC Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd It was the first of its kind outside of Italy as all of the prestigious Barolo and Barbaresco wine producers from the wine region of Piedmont gathered together in New York to present their top offerings. Some of the most outstanding red Italian wines made by some of the most iconic wine producers were all in the same room; a room that was worthy of such guests with its soaring ceiling and its expansive, open space as many wine professionals, as well as passionate wine lovers, enthusiastically went from t ..read more

“Take out four fondues! The last dish in the history of El Bulli… as a restaurant! Take them out! Come on!” An enormous roar from the clapping crowd started as intense emotions swept over the group – was it heartbreak? Sadness? Hopelessness? One might think it was at least one of those emotions but no, it was joy; joy from the sheer gratitude that they would be given one of the greatest gifts in the world – time. For there is nothing more precious in the world than to be given more time to create, think, achieve and accomplish the Herculean mission to stimulate people’s creativity worldwide an ..read more

The aromas of white flowers and intense minerality immediately enchanted him on his first sip. Then, the fierce, electrifying acidity sent a shiver down his spine like a lightning bolt that made him feel more alive than he had ever felt. It was why he kept coming back to a foreign land that made it virtually impossible to gain citizenship and it is why he passed on other opportunities that would better guarantee a more successful career. But logic goes out the window when every sense in a human is experiencing ecstasy that brings him to another dimension. For some, it is falling in love, other ..read more

Flying through the air like an eagle, soaring high above the all-inspiring landscape. Below are beautiful waves of vineyard rows appointed with majestic oak and sycamore trees and the sound of horses adding to the sensory delight of such a unique experience. There, hanging from a zipline, “big Karl” flew through the air while wearing his favorite cowboy hat while letting out a sound of pure joy. Big Karl is one of three owners of what might be one of the wineries with the most ziplines, six in total, each giving a thrilling flying experience across his 14,000-acre ranch. Also, Karl and his par ..read more

Lapostolle vineyard Photo Credit: Lapostolle Wines For the first time in a long time, the locals felt excited as they were on the edge of a precipice that was at once terrifying yet thrilling. The isolation that was like an iron-clad cage around their desolate town would be destroyed, and they would be free to connect to a wider world while also losing the safety of only being among the close-knit community of multi-generational neighbors. These hardworking and newly hopeful people lived in a sub-region called Apalta Valley within the region of Colchagua in central Chile. Apalta is shaped ..read more

The pristine, pale blue water was highlighted by a wave gently rolling towards the beach’s soft, white sand. The rhythmic sounds of the crashing waves brought an incredible sense of tranquility to those fortunate enough to spend time in this Mediterranean paradise. This little piece of heaven was tucked away in an area called Buggerru along the western coast of the Italian island of Sardinia. The cliffs surrounding the beach, dotted with Mediterranean herbs, have been carved by fierce winds either coming up from the Sahara Desert, bringing higher temperatures, or from the North, carrying a coo ..read more

“You will make worse wines!” That was the response from many well-respected people in the wine world in California when winemaker and director of winegrowing at Hamel Family Wines, John Hamel, asked well-respected colleagues if it was possible to dry farm (avoiding irrigation) in Sonoma County, California. The response from most was a warning that he would make worse wines because the grape bunches on the vines would dehydrate. John was already very thoughtful and conscious with his irrigation, only watering the vineyards when they needed it. After surveying more seasoned professiona ..read more

The young boy, Santiago, could not contain his excitement as his father drove down a dirt road 35 miles long as there was no more favorite place on Earth than their final destination. As they got closer and closer, the little child waved to the men riding horses, who wore traditional straw hats to combat the sun, and he squealed with delight when he saw their old adobe colonial wine cellar in the distance. The second the car stopped, Santiago ran out of it to go out into the vineyards where multi-generational families were working their land and he immediately placed his hands in the soil – th ..read more

The heat had sucked so much energy from the winemaker who was walking through the vineyards, surveying the grape bunches hanging from the vines. She was shocked how so many of the berries looked like blueberries as they were so tiny due to the sweltering conditions brought in by a hot spell that many in Europe had nicknamed “Lucifer.” The summer of 2017 had been a grueling growing season with the sun beating down like a fiery flame thrower, with no real reprieve from the hot punishment. Yet when one takes the oath to work for one of the greatest Italian wine producers, she knows that not only ..read more

It had taken five months of tasting 250 wine tanks and barrels to reach this final decision. Only a handful of wine samples made it to this all-important Champagne Billecart-Salmon blind tasting as all the backbreaking work in the vineyards, the immaculate winemaking practices and the work during several months of tasting the tanks and barrels while making exhaustive notes all come down to this moment. Eight people, representing all the essential decision makers of Billecart-Salmon – four family members that span three generations, the head of the vineyards, the assistant chief winem ..read more