Deep Wine History in Bulgaria’s Melnik Region
It is autumn, 1760. A camel train is winding along the cobblestone road, shaded by arching fig and plane trees. The camel drivers trace the course of the Melnishka river,…
Category: Dispatches
The blogs we publish under Dispatches explore the subtleties of the wine world. Wine is an art form and is living history. Like very few other manmade objects, wine captures the transcendent instinct of mankind to turn our most basic desires into something ethereal and perfect. With wine we have turned a beverage and an alcoholic stimulant into one of our greatest expressions of beauty. No wonder it is so spiritual and is so often intimitely linked with the divine. Dispatches blogs try to answer the question of why God has always approved of wine.
Chill Red Wines For Summer
Inhibitions drop considerably in summer. Everybody let’s it all hang out. It’s time for some seasonal exhibitionism. Clothes get remarkably skimpy. Parts of the body start getting sunburnt that haven’t…
A Winelover’s Guide to Summer in Greece
It’s 4pm, the summer sun is still hot, the sand on the beach even hotter – and the taverna is calling. Time to gather up the beach bag, muster family…
Top Wine Recommendations from Great Winemakers (2nd Instalment)
Welcome back to those of you who have already read the 1st part of this two-part series. We asked 11 very talented winemakers to tell us what wines they like…
Top Wine Recommendations from Great Winemakers (1st Instalment)
One of the requirements in the job description for a winemaker is to “taste wine”. Now there are some great careers out there but even the best job rarely has…
British Columbia Wines – The Triumph Of A Cool Climate
Let me set out my stall here. I propose that if you want to find the world’s most exciting and vibrant wines then just start by looking for wines from…
The World’s Best Wine Varieties (you might not have heard of)
One of the best things about being a wine fanatic at this point in history is having access to an unprecedented range of wines from around the world. The great…
Athens’ New Groove – Wine And Cocktails In The Cradle Of Civilization
Like the stars in the sky, the bars and the cafes of Athens are without count. They are everywhere, on every block, practically on every corner. In Athens this is…
Nikolaihof – History, Wine And Energy In The Wachau
In November I travelled from Vienna to Krems and to the village of Mautern in the Wachau. I had come to visit with Nikolaus Saahs and to record a podcast…
The Original Wine Road Trip
An Informal Biography of Dionysus. Humans are driven by a primeval desire for travel, adventure and a raunchy party. This urge resides among our deepest instincts. Since time immemorial we…