If you’d ask my grandmother to name a country where Pinot Noir is produced, she’d tell you France right off the bat. She doesn’t even drink wine, only rakija. That’s how celebrated Burgundy is with this grape variety. So how did Oregon get into the picture? Or any other reputable US region for that matter? Well, led by pioneers David Lett and Joseph Drouhin, this state started making wine in the early 1980s after figuring out that the conditions were ace for growing grapes (located on the same latitude as Burgundy and New Zealand’s South Island). Continue reading “Tasting Blind: Oregon Pinot Noir Steals the Spotlight Once Again”
Tag Archives: pinot noir
House Pour: A Real Guide to Californian Pinot Noir
Hey you. Yeah, you. I heard you like Pinot. That’s why you’re reading this, aren’t you? You’ve had your fair share of NSG, Chambolle, Pommard, now you want to explore something new, just like the rest of us. But do you really think that Cali Pinot can live up to Burgundy’s established status? Is it all about sweet fruit flavors and milkshake texture? Are all the exceptional examples expensive af? Welcome to House Pour, a guide that breaks down (not so) famous grapes and gets to the bottom of things by drinking (fo’ real). Continue reading “House Pour: A Real Guide to Californian Pinot Noir”
10 Great New Zealand Wines to Enjoy in 2017
New Zealand will always be that dream country everybody talks about in the pub after the fifth beer upon realising in what kind of shithole they live in. It stands by its lonesome self in the Pacific Ocean and stretches for 1,600 km from sub-tropical Northland to the world’s most southerly grape growing region Central Otago. It’s a country that’s not too cold and not too hot and it’s famous for iconic wines, LOTR scenery and nice job opportunities. Do you really need anything else?
On the 16th of January, just one day before Liberty Wines’ APT 2017, I attended the exciting Great New Zealand Wine Tasting held at Lindley Hall, London. If the wine flowed for one more day, I swear I’d put “attended a wine marathon” in my CV. At this event, 90+ wineries came to present their best selections, mainly led by Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Pinot Noir, but with some special gems as well (holla to the fans of Viognier & Malbec). Continue reading “10 Great New Zealand Wines to Enjoy in 2017”
Top 10 Wines @ Liberty Wines Annual Portfolio Tasting 2017
Getting a chance to attend the Annual Portfolio Tasting of Liberty Wines in London was a professional beauty in my agenda. The company was founded in 1997 by David Gleave MW as a start-up with just four people working as staff. Today, it employs 130 individuals and has an annual turnover of £45 million. With awards annually pouring in from IWC, Decanter and SWA (On-Trade Supplier of the Year, Merchant of the Year, Wine Educator of the Year…), I honestly don’t see the need to bore you further with data and statistics of what Liberty Wines is in the international market today.
The APT 2017 was held on the 17th of January in the fascinating Kia Oval cricket ground in South London. This is the chief event of the company and gives wine lovers a chance to taste over 600 wines, spirits, beers, ciders and olive oils from over 150 representatives. To be frank, I only tasted around 250 samples. I started off slow and focused on my writing, but after a few hours I figured out how time is soaring by without me trying anything French or Italian. Luckily, eight hours presented a perfect time period to keep me sane and awake (though a lil’ dehydrated), so I cherry-picked the most sophisticated examples in the last 60 minutes. Being a WSET Diploma student, I really can’t complain about the producers selected for this event, because everything I wanted to cover and rehearse for the upcoming Unit 3 exam was there – Barolo, Tuscany, Australia, Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, South Africa, Rioja… Continue reading “Top 10 Wines @ Liberty Wines Annual Portfolio Tasting 2017”
Grape Nomad 