Month: May 2019

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov profiles Will Berliner, the proprietor of Australia’s Cloudburst. “If Margaret River had a cult wine producer, it might well be Mr. Berliner and Cloudburst… Mr. Berliner prefers not to pigeonhole his form of agriculture as organic, biodynamic or anything else. His idea is not to follow a recipe, but simply to respond to what he perceives the vineyard wants.”

Seven Percent Solution’s Kevin Wardell explains why more California winemakers are embracing varietal diversity in SevenFifty Daily. “Not all of the seven-percent grapes are obscure varieties… But most of the seven-percent varieties prompting renewed interest from winemakers have historically been relegated to a specific country rather than planted internationally.”

In Wine Enthusiast, I highlight four American producers rediscovering the beauty of white field blends.

In Wine-Searcher, Kathleen Willcox looks at how winemakers are increasingly moving from pesticides to pests to combat disease and create better wines.

In the Napa Valley Register, Tim Carl dives into Relic Wines, owned by winemaker Mike Hirby and his wife Schatzi Throckmorton. “Here we have a husband-and-wife team who have grown their business slowly, maintained their identity and are fighting the good fight when it comes to making honest wines in a manner that might help sustain some of the valley’s historic vineyards. You can certainly purchase flashier wines from the Napa Valley, but you can’t purchase any that have more soul or honesty.”

“After talking with a bunch of wine and food writers, I’ve come to the conclusion that wine writing has much higher barriers to entry than food writing,” writes Tom Natan, who considers the financial, structural, and institutional barriers involved on the blog for First Vine.

In Decanter, Jane Anson reports on ambitious renovation work at Clos de la Commaraine in Pommard and tastes through wines being made elsewhere in Burgundy by its new American investors. (subscription req.)