Monthly Archives: October 2010

Banfi Autumn 2010 New Releases from Italy

Posted on October 28, 2010 by don

Banfi Vintners is a spectacularly successful company that both produces and imports table wine from Italy. The Mariani family started the company in Manhattan’s Little Italy early in the last century and began importing classic Italian wines after Prohibition ended. … Continue reading →

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Kamptal’s Loisium: Europe’s Best Wine Museum

Posted on October 25, 2010 by don

We’ve visited a lot of wine museums around the world, but the one we discovered this week adjacent to the Steininger winery in Langenlois in the Kamptal is the most creative that we’ve ever seen. Both the Loisium Museum and … Continue reading →

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Canals & Munné: Catalunya Cava with Character

Posted on October 24, 2010 by don

In many ways, Spanish cava has a unique character. While produced using the methode champenoise, it is usually made from indigenous varietals, instead of the usual Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier blend of Champagne and California. Thus, while it … Continue reading →

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L’homme qui ris: Tête de Cuvée California Sparkling Wine from McIntyre Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands

Posted on October 18, 2010 by don

Where would one expect to find the best California sparkling wine? Alexander Valley? Carneros? What about the Santa Lucia Highlands? Well, this is a stunner. One of the best sparkling wines we’ve had this year comes from a little-known vineyard … Continue reading →

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Meli: Chilean Wine Made from Dry Farmed, Old Vines in Maule

Posted on October 16, 2010 by don

Adriana Cerda (pictured below) is one of Chile’s better known enologists. She was winemaker at Viña De Martino for many years, including its launch of Chile’s first bottling of Carmenere in 1996. But she always wanted a vineyard of her … Continue reading →

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The Exciting New Wines of Portugal

Posted on October 12, 2010 by don

The New Wines of Portugal, Report # 24, is now available to subscribers at iwinereview.com. It’s our first Double Issue ever. And why, you might ask, a double issue? Because Portugal is so incredibly diverse in terms of climate, soils, … Continue reading →

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Tercos of Argentina: New Releases of Torrontes, Bonarda, and Sangiovese

Posted on October 8, 2010 by don

Tercos is a new Argentine winery owned by brothers Pedro and Patricio Santos. Winemaker Patricio Santos was educated at UC, Davis, and has worked at Catena in Mendoza and Chimney Rock and Cardinale Winery in the Napa Valley. The three … Continue reading →

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The Wines of Rui Cunha: The Length and Breadth of Portugal

Posted on October 8, 2010 by don

As we highlight in our October 2010 report on The New Wines of Portugal, the itinerant consulting winemaker is an increasingly familiar figure in Portugal’s modern wineries. Rui Cunha is one of the more prominent consultants, and we tasted his … Continue reading →

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