Hello, and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard-inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week.
Big news: new genetic evidence shows that the grapevine was domesticated in two locations, and 3000 years earlier than previously thought
This is pretty momentous news, and reshapes what we thought we knew about wine’s origins and more.
Sake Is Booming in America
Eric Asimov on sake.
Devil’s Advocate – Sommeliers are now the Trendsetters of the Drinks World
The competition is fierce.
Alt-Nebbiolo, Anyone?
Vaira gets fizzy.
Wine vocabulary is Eurocentric. It’s time to change that.
Build a bigger tent.
Why Is It So Hard to Get the Wines We Really Want?
Because… politics and money.
Ribera del Duero’s ‘beautiful moment’
Jancis says it’s gone elegant.
What’s new for Georgia’s ancient Qvevri wines?
Nice article by Sarah Abbott.
Grazing-based viticulture
A super-interesting article about a super-interesting vineyard.
Time in a Bottle: Good Things Come to Those Who Late
Not enough wine lovers enjoy the beauty of age.
NZ 2023 – not to be written-off
Not all bad in 2023 in NZ.
Letters from Kyiv
The latest wine missive from Ukraine.
The Lone Hibiscus
A lovely piece.
What It’s Really Like to Be a Black Wine Professional
Important perspective.
Fugitive who masterminded £46.6m wine fraud will return to London for confiscation hearing
Lock. Him. Up.
Wine, Terroir and the Human Touch
The debate continues.
Rotten Grapes: Cringe-Worthy Wine Advice That’s Well Past Its Prime
Things to not pay attention to.
Small Producers Contribute to Hawke’s Bay Recovery
That’s the Kiwis for you. Everyone pitches in.
The Stage And The Actor
Who hasn’t pined for Zaltos?
Angelo Sangiacomo, Pioneering Sonoma Winegrower, Dies at 92
A great grower.
Why Is It So Hard to Get the Wines We Really Want?
Politics.
Chile wildfires: damage to wine country as officials pledge help
It’s bad.
Wine Writing Is Travel Writing. At Least It Could Be.
If it wasn’t a listicle, says Jason Wilson.
When we taste wine, how accurate are our perceptions?
Jamie muses.
The Food Expert’s Expert
Ruth writes a love letter to Darrel Corti.
Brazilian Wine Giants Linked to ‘Conditions Analogous to Slavery’
Horrific.
Napa County works on fire hazard road standards
You can’t move a tree without incurring a fine, but now all your driveways have to be twice as wide.
Why It’s Time for Fine Wine to Ditch the Cork and Embrace Screw Caps
A valiant proposal, but a lost cause.
California’s Rare Snow-Covered Vineyards Are a Treat for Some, Test for Others
Worth a read just for the photos alone!
Slovenia Is the Most Underrated Wine Destination in Europe
All the beauty and deliciousness of Italy, but at a different pace.
Every Painstaking Step It Takes to Make the World’s Best Wine Casks
A pictoral guide.
The Rugged Cool of California’s Santa Ynez Wine Country
The delicious ‘yum,’ too.
Spain $1.7m wine theft: Couple jailed for four years
A pretty light sentence.
