Stories from Enotheque

  1. Looking Beyond Torrontés —The Red Wines of Salta

    Enotheque &bull Feb 16, 2009

    Argentina's rugged northwest, namely the provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, are often ascribed otherworldly qualities in the types of guidebooks one would consult when contemplating a visit. The dreamscapes one can find in places like Talampaya and la Quebrada could easily lead one to suspect that wine, let alone any other form of agriculture would be an unlikely, if not altogether unfruitful venture. Nevertheless, viticulture has been widely practiced in Salta, albeit with better manifestations more recently, since the Spanish undertook their enterprise of colonizing the area in the 16th century. Quality wine production in Salta, however, has come… Full Story »

  2. Great Sicilian Merlot—Lessons For Rising Wine Regions

    Enotheque &bull Jan 26, 2009

    Sicily is an exciting place to be making wine these days. Producers that range from tiny family outfits to the major estates are all playing various roles in the internationalization of the region's presence and potential clientele. That very process, of increasing the notoriety of Sicilian wines, of course, does not preclude both sacrifice and experimentation. Much like in other exciting regions such as Spain's Somontano, experimentation with international grape varieties can drastically set the production profile apart. Seeing how, unfortunately, many of the largest export markets such as the United States seem to be fashion and… Full Story »

  3. Playlist: Bargain New World Sauvignon Blanc

    Enotheque &bull Jan 19, 2009

    My last post offered a brief discussion on the idea that as a result of the global economic downtown, even mid-priced New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc may now be a bit too expensive for consumers. The thinking behind this observation is nothing novel if we gloss over the range and tone of predictions intended for 2009, both in terms of economics and in the wine industry, that sprang up during the final days of last year. Nevertheless,… Full Story »

  4. The Current Arms Race Towards a Benchmark Value New World Sauvignon Blanc

    Enotheque &bull Jan 17, 2009

    A great deal of conversation in the wine world has recently been devoted to the notion of 2009 being the year of value wines, especially in light of the global financial meltdown that transpired nearing the end of 2008, along with the menacing prospects it imposes on imports and retail demand. Despite there being myriad of differing opinions on the wine trends that will characterize this year, perusal of various sources that chimed in on the topic produced a steady consensus regarding 2009 being "the year of the value wine."… Full Story »

  5. An Austrian Wine Gem: Stadlmann's Zierfandler Mandel-Höh

    Enotheque &bull Jan 6, 2009

    Perhaps the terms "rare" and "hidden gem" are tossed about a bit too liberally in the wine trade, agreed. Nevertheless, when dealing with fine Austrian wines, even many cultured Viennese draw a blank expression when asked about the grape variety Zierfandler, unless they are particularly familiar with the Thermenregion , located directly to the south of their beautiful capital. Regionally,… Full Story »

  6. Understanding German Wine Labels Via An Artisan Saar Riesling Bargain From The Great 2005 German Vintage

    Enotheque &bull Dec 30, 2008

    Quite a bit has been pronounced, praised and written over the 2005 vintage in Germany's thirteen major wine producing regions. With lucid perspectives already published by those who truly know and work with these wines, such as here and here , I begin to wonder what more I could possibly contribute about such an open-and-shut topic. The consensus clearly illustrates the reality that across all of Germany's major regions and diverse styles, 2005 Rieslings are the first in many, many years, that the modest, cautiously analytical and circumspect German soul holds in the same esteem as, say, wines from the… Full Story »

  7. What I'll be Enjoying During The Holiday Break: Single-Village Côtes du Rhône Villages

    Enotheque &bull Dec 23, 2008

    The Côtes du Rhône appellation and sub-appellations represent a classic, go-to range of choices for those interested in finding memorable intelligent value wines. I especially think of really great, inexpensive Côtes du Rhône wines these days when the economic pain exacted by the price tags on other French and especially many German wines becomes a bit unreasonable. As a result of this line of… Full Story »


  8. Recession Burgundy Picks: White Wines Edition

    Enotheque &bull Dec 10, 2008

    Has all the recent economic gloom somehow affected your wine purchasing state of mind? Well, regardless of which side of the Atlantic one might find themselves glooming and dooming in, these times call for honing up on the intelligent value seeking skills, as we don't want to sacrifice too much quality in attempting to be so frugal. In this context, some imagination… Full Story »

    • Burgundy

  9. On Landing and UK Wine Market Trends: Why Do So Many Wine Trends Manifest Themselves In The UK First?

    Enotheque &bull Nov 20, 2008

    Well I'm back, with many changes on the way...too many to report on here. The move was predictably stressful, complete with long waits at the police for foreign national registration, idiot bank employees who don't do what you ask them to, negligent estate agents only interested in their miserable commission—and that's if they're still employed, considering the global financial meltdown that ensued, seemingly occurring right after I physically landed at Heathrow and cleared the baggage claim. Oh well, at least… Full Story »


  10. Focus on Spain's Regional Varieties: Serious Verdejo from Rueda D.O. in The Export Markets

    Enotheque &bull Aug 28, 2008

    It seems appropriate that the mythical figure of the phoenix should enter my imagination when searching for metaphors that could describe the variable fortunes of Verdejo throughout Spain's history. Wine production in general suffered during particularly crippling plague outbreaks, the Moorish Invasions, Reconquista, Wars of Succession and more recently under Franco, among several other trials. Not unlike the development and refinement of viticulture in Burgundy and the Rheingau, however, Verdejo cultivation in the… Full Story »

    • Burgundy
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