The Verge on how west coast winemakers are adapting to climate change. "But fires are more frequent than they used to be, which is why wineries are trying to identify what the industry calls smoke taint — a specific flavor profile that comes from fire exposure — and remove it, as quickly as they can."
The New Yorker on Randal Grahm's quest to create a truly American wine. "Grahm sometimes talks about the mission of “American” wine, but California is his true terroir. "
Bloomberg reports that four decades after her father bought Chateau Margaux, Corinne Mentzelopoulos has built the vineyard into a billion-dollar business. “Margaux is not just a company, it’s something so special,” says Mentzelopoulos. “The light is always different. It’s extraordinary in the fall. I get emotional talking about it.”
The Telegraph says women have better palates. "Dr Caroline Chaya of the Technical University of Madrid, who led the study, concluded: “In general, men reported higher scores on significant emotions than women for all the wines."
The New York Times explores Silvaner. "Silvaner is a white grape of German origin, though I’ve seen many more bottles in the United States from Alsace, where it is spelled sylvaner, than from Germany. "
Jancis Robinson on how Rioja is embracing geography. "From the 2017 vintage, three new, much more geographically precise, categories of Rioja have been introduced. Producers who wish to, and whose wines obey the sensibly strict rules, may produce fashionable single-vineyard wines, marked on the label as a Viñedo Singular."
In Decanter Andrew Jefford reviews progress in Hawke’s Bay’s red-wine hot spot. "These early struggles gave the region a drive and a cohesiveness which resulted in ‘Gimblett Gravels’ becoming a communally owned trademark."
