Estia Verë Roze 2024 by Kantina Arianiti is the best rosé wine in the Balkans. For the first time, Albania triumphs at the Wine Vision by Open Balkan Wine Trophy in Belgrade, a wine competition organized in conjunction with the fair of the same name held from November 22 to 25 in the Serbian capital.
The best Balkan rosé is Albanian Read More »
Brunello di Montalcino 2021 is a late summer afternoon, with the sun trying to break through the clouds before setting. A T-shirt might no longer be enough: better bring a sweatshirt. The new vintage presented at Benvenuto Brunello 2025, overall more than convincing from a quality standpoint, is a rollercoaster of contrasting sensations, which often
Best Brunello di Montalcino 2021: Scores at Benvenuto Brunello 2025 Read More »
It is called Espace Pro and is a free tasting area accessible only to wine industry professionals at the Salon des Vignerons Indépendants, the “parent organization” of Italy’s FIVI independent winegrowers. Samples are organized by region, color, and appellation, “to save time for industry professionals in a space conducive to tasting.” This is a model
The Pavlovian reflex, or classical conditioning, is an automatic (involuntary) response that an organism learns to produce in response to an originally neutral stimulus, after it has been repeatedly associated with a stimulus that naturally provokes that response. A classic example is Pavlov’s dog, which salivated at the sound of a bell because it had
Sinner Wins: “Champagne Shower.” Asti Consortium Furious Read More »
Wines aged at sea, whether off the coast of Portofino or in mountain lakes? For Cotarella, they are simply “misguided gimmicks.” The president of Assoenologi defined one of the latest Italian wine trends this way, speaking yesterday morning at the conference for the 60th anniversary of the Union Internationale des Œnologues, held at the Hotel
Wines aged at sea, Cotarella: “Like natural wines, misguided gimmicks” Read More »
In a wine world seeing plummeting consumption, within an international context that will reshape the viticultural landscape and the map of wineries in major global wine regions, some wine competitions continue to appear arrogant. Detached from the real problems of the sector. And, above all, driven by an irrepressible and incomprehensible spirit of self-referentiality. Proof
Concours des Grands Vins du Monde in Macon: What No One Will Tell You Read More »
Nowhere in the world is there a more contradictorily dynamic appellation than Spanish Cava. In no other wine-growing region does the tension between past and future, between industry and craftsmanship, between identity and mass market, manifest itself so clearly as in the hills of Catalonia—or rather, of Comtats de Barcelona, where over 90% of production
Spanish Cava, its own blessing and curse, toasts to Meeting 2025 Read More »
After five years of investigation, hearings, and sensational headlines, the Pavia Court has closed one of the most controversial proceedings in the recent history of Lombard wine. With the verdict filed on October 30, 2025, the judge fully acquitted Andrea Giorgi, Alessio Gaiaschi, and Andrea Rossi “because the act does not constitute a crime.” A
Oltrepò, hear Andrea Giorgi: “They got rid of me at Terre. I was inconvenient” Read More »
The opening dinner of Cava Meeting 2025 took place yesterday in Sitges, Catalonia, entirely dedicated to the “Elaborador Integral“—Spanish producers who oversee the entire Cava production cycle—from pressing to vinification to bottling—within their own estate. This aspect is indicated by a special mark established by the Consejo Regulador of D.O. Cava, which can be affixed
Cava Meeting 2025 Celebrates Elaborador Integral, Spain’s Récoltant-Manipulant Read More »
There is much talk about Alto Adige wines for their great whites and reds. Somewhat less about the region’s Cinderella: Santa Maddalena wine. A red from Alto Adige that combines elegance, freshness, and versatility. Medium-bodied with a not overly intense color, it stands out for its easy drinkability and aromas of violet, marzipan, rose, and
Santa Maddalena on the Italian market: history, prospects, and limitations Read More »
