A long and storied history.
A visit to the city of Port (sometimes called Oporto in Portugal) and Gaia, its sister city directly across the river, is more than just a beautiful must-see European destination. For Port wine lovers it’s the mecca; an essential pilgrimage to the birthplace of the deliciously rich, sweet wine fortified with Brandy. One of the oldest, and arguably most influential Port Houses, is that of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman (more widely referred to as Taylor’s) which celebrates its 330th anniversary this year.
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Champagne Ayala Brut & No. 7
The venerable Champagne house of Ayala is one of the region’s oldest, and for a time, one of the most dominant. But times change and the fortunes of businesses, like people’s, can change as well. Ayala has seen both ups and downs, but based on recent tastings, we can tell you that Champagne Ayala is definitely back on top. These are now top-quality Champagnes at very fair prices.
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A sample of the limestone soils at BeauSejour Becot.
Minerality is a commonly used descriptor in the world of wine. We see it frequently when we read tasting notes. We see it as a term defined in the glossaries of wine books. We hear it used by winemakers when describing their wines. And, we use it ourselves. So just what is this minerality we and others speak of when talking about wine? Is it really there, in our glass? Do we even know what a mineral tastes like, or smells like?
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Alloro Vineyard
Oregon’s Willamette Valley is widely considered one of the world’s premier Pinot Noir producing regions. Among its 7 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) is the Chehalem Mountains AVA which sits just under 20 miles southwest of Portland, stretching 20 miles long and 5 miles wide. 53 of the Willamette Valley’s 700+ wineries live here including such well-respected names as Adelsheim, Ponzi and ROCO. A recent new discovery for us was Alloro Vineyard, a winery on a living farm that brings the best things in life to the table along with an invitation for anyone to come have a seat.
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Tim Blue on Adam’s Bench.
Adams Bench Winery is a recent discovery we made while on a weekend trip to Woodinville. We have to admit, one of our favourite things is to discover new wineries. The older, larger wineries that are well-established can be great to visit and can produce terrific wines, but there is something special about discovering something new particularly when it turns out to be so exceptional.
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