When you are holding a bottle made from a grape variety whose name isn’t exactly mentioned in the index of Wine Grapes, the industry’s 1200-page tome featuring 1368 different cultivars, you know you you have something rather eccentric in your hands. And, if that special bottle of wine comes from a small and sleepy medieval … Read More
Winoseum
Ġellewesome
There is something awesome about well-made red Ġellewża, that rare grape variety native to Malta, the tiniest wine producing country in the world located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. For long many a doubting Thomas thought it couldn’t be done. Many Maltese of the older generation still do of course. But, because they remember … Read More
You Can Tell Georgia
You can tell Georgia that my thinking is clear. As I browse and catalogue my tasting notes of wines from the strangest of places, it is easy to understand why… Drawing from memory, the remembrance of one wine in particular is very vivid. It is the Reserve Du Prince from Chateau Mukhrani made from Georgia’s native Saperavi by … Read More
Holy Pinotage!
With no indigenous grape varieties of their own to draw on, winemakers in modern-day Israel, obviously have to resort to the obvious suspects to vinify. They hope to tap into export markets with their twists on Chardonnay, Cabernet and other noble grape varieties. And, with a benign climate and different terroirs within the country to … Read More
Let Jan B.
In my travels when I have found no answers, I discovered wonders and sometimes curiosities have come to me – like this gift bottle of Belgian wine. Yes, I had high hopes for this Cuvee Jan B. that originates from my hometown Borgloon in Haspengouw, Belgium, wishing it would be ever as delightful as that … Read More