WWW: Wonderful Wine Writing
I’ve been doing a lot more reading than writing recently, so what better way of getting back into the swing of things than sharing some of the most enjoyable pieces I’ve come across.
‘Amontillado: A Draught From Paradise’ by Jesús Barquín was originally published in issue 42 (2013) of The World Of Fine Wine. To coincide with the publication’s selection of Valdespino Amontillado Coliseo as their wine of the month for December 2015, it has been now been reproduced as free-to-read online content.
Here’s a link to the article in full.
Reading this article reminded me of Jesús’ quote from the film Sherry & The Mystery of Palo Cortado about Equipo Navazos La Bota de Amontillado No. 49 – “We aren’t judging the wine, we know it’s extraordinary. Let’s see if you realised”.
‘Politics and Wine’ by David Berry Green is a short, insightful article in issue 9 of Noble Rot magazine about how understanding the political undercurrents in the Langhe is key to appreciating the region’s wines. Berry Green rarely pulls any punches and stays true to form here while charting the recent course of winemaking in the Langhe and its parallels with Berlusconi’s rise to power, New Labour and Corbynism.
The modernist (centre-right) manifesto began in the vineyard, seeking excessive concentration of the fruit, use of unauthorised grape varieties to give more colour and then, armed with rotofermenters and French barriques, the band of so-called ‘Barolo Boys’ (with Gaja stirring in the background) sought to conquer America and the palates of its prepubescent wine press with their high-octane, highly priced ‘International’ style Baroli & Barbareschi.
– David Berry Green
No link to this one – you’ll have to subscribe to Noble Rot to read the full article. Trust me, it’ll be money very well spent.
‘Internal change, living in the now, and our approach to wine’ is a beautifully written piece by Jamie Goode demanding reflection on the “vain pursuit of ever-better wines” championed by so many of the Instagram generation. It’s something that I freely admit falling victim to on ocassion. I particularly like Jamie’s take on wines with a little edge and the Japanese notion of Wabi-Sabi; it articulates what I love in so many wines but is all too easily overlooked and quickly forgotten.
Click here to link Jamie’s blog.
And finally, something a little different. Just before Christmas I had the great pleasure of hearing author Turtle Bunbery speak at the launch of Ballyvolane House’s Bertha’s Revenge, a gin made using whey alcohol as the base spirit and containing 18 different botanicals. The gin was the main attraction of course, but the story of Bertha – the oldest recorded cow in the world – and her wake (!?!) was a window to a bygone era in Ireland.
Here’s a link to Turtle Bunbery’s article about Bertha in The Guardian.
Image Credit: http://www.noblerot.co.uk
