In my penultimate report on the successful 2009 Barolo and Barbaresco harvest I interview Giuseppe and his mother Maria Teresa Mascarello in their Santo Stefano di Perno vineyard, Monforte. It speaks volumes that this iron-rich, sandy calcareous site should picked last among their formidable stable of Barolo vineyards; later even than Monprivato and Ca d’Morissio. […]

Schoolboy trivia perhaps that Nebbiolo the grape (Nebuẽ in Piemontese) takes its name from ‘Nebia’ the fog that cloaks the slopes at this time of year. Less observed or well-known is that, according to Teobaldo Rivella of Barbaresco, the fog has become scarce since the early ’90; coincidently tying in with the run of great […]

Berrys’ Bordeaux Buyer Max Lalondrelle reports on the vintage. Just back from Bordeaux where I spent a few days assessing the nearly harvested 2009 vintage. I also took this opportunity to look at newcomers that might be included into the Berrys’ portfolio. Over the three days there were no clouds to be seen the temperature […]

Week 15 of wine adventures in Piedmont It began a couple of weeks ago, with Dolcetto now in and bubbling away in the vats while the cool, grey, rainy weather of the past week has been shoved aside today by blue skies and brilliant sunshine. So the threat to the bulging, compact bunches of Barbera, their thin […]