Month: July, 2010

Inside Burgundy goes to press

Time for a glass of champagne rather than Burgundy – in order to celebrate Burgundy! My book on the vineyards and vignerons of Burgundy, titled ‘Inside Burgundy’ – we resisted the temptation to go with ‘The Sex Life of Burgundy’, though it is certainly true that gaining an understanding of the human relationships among the […]

From Vosges to Muenchberg, Alsace

Initial impressions of wine regions can often disappoint: arrival at a non-descript airport followed by a drive across a bleak light industrial landscape until hills loom into view on the horizon and vines are finally spotted. My first visit to Alsace was no exception, the drive from Basel airport across the border towards Colmar memorable […]

(The) Giaconda returns to Italy – an interview with Rick Kinzbrunner in Piedmont

What an honour and a pleasure it was to welcome Rick Kinzbrunner, the creator of Giaconda surely one of Australia’s finest wines, back to Piedmont five years after his last visit. The seed was sown for this brief three day tour when Rick came to Berrys last year to host a dinner. Mention of my […]

Clos Blanc de Vougeot

We had a bit of a treat last week when we celebrated the 900th anniversary of the extraordinary vineyard called Clos Blanc de Vougeot. It is well known how the monks of Cîteaux, having established their new monastery in 1098, started to plant up what is now the Clos de Vougeot from 1110. Fewer people […]