October 2013

Alvaro Palacios is not exactly a new face in the wine scene  – he has helped revolutionise the Spanish wine industry by making rich, complex wines from Priorat and is considered, along with Peter Sisseck of Pingus, to be one of the most important winemakers of Spain’s modern era.

One of nine children from the esteemed Rioja winemaking family Bodegas Palacios Remondo, Alvaro Palacios interned in Bordeaux at the side of Christian Moueix, the celebrated winemaker of Pomerol château Pétrus. He credits his tenure under Moueix for much of his winemaking philosophy and for showing him “the importance of great wines.” Upon his return to Spain he decided against getting involved in the family business and instead pursued his own ventures.… Read the rest

“From the time I was a young boy I worked year round in these vineyards and I understand that without superior grapes you can’t make superior wine. I know how lucky I am. “

— Renato Vacca -winemaker/owner Cantina del Pino

Who wouldn’t want to drink Barbaresco from the first vineyard to ever make the wine? Though Cantina Del Pino has only been producing since 1997, the Vacca family, and their vineyard, have been a part of Italian winemaking for over 100 years. Domizio Cavazzo established the vineyard in 1894, becoming one of the first winemakers to produce Nebbiolo under the name Barbaresco. An advocate for Langhe farmers, Cavazzo’s vineyard was well known, recognizable by the large Mediterranean pine tree he planted on the day his first son was born.… Read the rest

September 2013

In many wine areas throughout the world, there are a handful of individuals or families who make “the” wine for their particular region – winemakers who define the style of that kind of wine. When it comes to Valpolicella, the Dal Forno family does just that. For more than 30 years, Dal Forno has been producing deeply concentrated Valpolicella, Amarone and Recioto. Romano Dal Forno , the current winemaker/owner, took over the farm in 1983. Risking everything, he invested a large amount in 1990 to update the winery and refine Dal Forno’s process. The extremely bold flavor of the Valpolicella Superiore is a great example of Dal Forno’s commitment to perfection and their respect for traditional winemaking. Their Valpolicella Superiore is just short of an Amarone, made entirely with fruit that has been dried, though for less time than that legally required for Amarone.… Read the rest

August 2013

The Diffonty family, makers of Cuvee du Vatican, go back as far as 1673, when they began as farmers. Felician Diffonty named the domain Cuvee du Vatican in 1958, with blessings from the pope. Since then the family has played a large role in the community, Félician was the mayor of Chateauneuf du Pape from 1965-1995 and Jean Marc Diffonty, the 4^th generation
and current owner of the domain, was made president of the Young Winemakers of Châteauneuf du Pape in 1996. Jean-Marc continues the family business today with wife Karine, they have dedicated themselves to the further development of the domain. In 1998, they created the Reserve Sixtine, named after the Sistine Chapel, made from the oldest of their vines and seen as an expression of the land and the Diffonty tradition.… Read the rest