The Guild of Sommeliers sent six members to Cariñena DO/DOP in the spring of 2014 to discover this unexplored region in northeastern Spain, and report back on its wines, culture, and potential. Following is their story.
Andrew Rastello
Coming out of passing my Advanced Exam in April, I wasn’t sure my high could get much, well, higher… but days later, I received notice that I’d been awarded the travel scholarship…
Young Assyrtiko is relentless. It is a predator, and your palate is the prey. It puts you on your back and you throw your hands up. You have to submit!-Yoon Ha MS
Put simply, Santorini Assyrtiko may be the best terroir value in the world. The wines generally retail between $15-30 in the US, a price point at which one can easily find good varietal quality, but real sense of place becomes a bit more elusive. Modern Assyrtiko…
In June 2014, Liz Dowty (New Orleans), Ryan Totman (Corkbuzz, NYC), Victoria James (Marea, NYC) and Master Sommeliers Laura Maniec and Geoff Kruth traveled to Switzerland and the Savoie. Following is a report on the region from Victoria James.
“I’m not leaving this country until I taste some Vin de Glacier,” Liz announced.
Ryan’s eyes widened as he described this “unicorn” wine of Switzerland that we…
When it comes to managing beverage inventory at a restaurant, many have opted to manage their inventory manually over the years with a handwritten list or printed Excel spreadsheet. Every time a bottle is sold, the Excel spreadsheet gets updated (or not, depending on how busy it is), so inventory is up to date—in theory. Finding the right way to manage beverage program data can be complicated for both small, independent…
There is a reason why most indigenous grape varieties will never became international successes. Some of those hyped varieties are niche products and will never reach a wider audience. But there are a few Cinderella varieties, waiting for their grand entrance—and one of them could be Silvaner. Silvaner is one of the most underrated grape varieties in the world; however, it is not a victim—there are reasons why it is…
The mere mention of Lodi may conjure up images of massive wine factories, Woodbridge, Delicato, and 7 Deadly Zins, but there’s a hidden world of viticultural history and old-vine treasure chests out there—and winemakers throughout California have been sniffing around. Turley was one of the first premium “outsider” wineries to bottle a Lodi AVA wine (1996 Spenker Zinfandel), but in recent years others have followed, attracted…
I recently returned from my second trip in the last year to Hong Kong. This time it was combined with a visit to Shanghai, further emphasizing the dichotomy between what we think of as “The China Market" and the established scene in Hong Kong. Lumped together, Asia is the Wild West for wine—and globalization as a whole. Laws, import tariffs, distribution, prices, and quality are inconsistent, but the mindset is rapidly…
Like death and taxes, battling diseases of grapevines can’t be avoided. Managing grapevine diseases is an integral part of tending vineyards; the challenge is due to one simple, modern predicament: many of the diseases are from the New World, and Vitis vinifera is from the Old World, so it didn’t evolve any natural resistance to them. European grapevines and grapevines of European origin have to contend with North…