After crossing the Andes to Santiago, en route to Argentina to judge in the 2011 Vinandino Competition, what better sight than a pisco sour bar? Continue reading
© 2011 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Category Archives: Wine Trips
© 2011 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
© 2011 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Albert Bichot
I have had the chance to taste Albert Bichot wines a lot recently and also to visit the Burgundy negociant/wine producer at their base in Beaune and they do keep delivering consistently high quality. Not surprisingly, their winemaker, Alain Serveau, … Continue reading
© 2011 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega
…wines of passion and soul, something a little rarer than marketeers would have you think.
© 2011 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Alpha Estate
Standing in the wind-blown, quite austere surroundings of the vineyard with the snow-capped mountains on three sides and the isolated lake at the end of the vineyard, you could feel how the vines had to struggle against the elements to survive unaided by the uncompromisingly thin-looking sandy soil…
© 2010 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Kluge Estate
Kluge Estate must be one of the most well-connected and well-heeled of the wineries we visited in Virginia; it has deservedly a big reputation for sparkling wine – both the Kluge NV Sparkling and Kluge rosé were drunk at this year’s Clinton wedding. Continue reading
© 2010 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
In Vino Veritas
Growing Sauvignon Blanc in Virginia? We’d been told it was impossible because of the climate but here was a winery not only doing it but doing it very well. Here it seems vintages can be swelteringly hot and early (as 2010 was turning out to be), or cold, wet and late (and all else in between). Continue reading
© 2010 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Wines of Turkey
A press trip to visit the wine regions of Turkey in spring sounded like an exciting idea back in the middle of a bleak December and I still felt excited as we were about to depart on the last day of February 2010. I’d even done some homework and tasted a bottle of Kavaklidere Öküzgözü from a local Turkish restaurant/deli. Continue reading
© 2009 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Hidden Spain
Having just returned from a breathless and breathtaking tour of some of Northern Spain’s less well known DOs on the recent CWW trip, I am filled with even more enthusiasm for ‘hidden Spain’. What attracted me to the trip initially was the allure of visiting DO Cigales and DO Bierzo but I found much more to excite me. Continue reading
© 2008 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
IMW Hungary trip October 9th to 13th – A visit to Gere winery in Villány
The region of Villány-Siklós is one of Hungary’s best red-wine producing areas. Its most important vineyards are located in the villages of Villány, Villánykövesd, Kisharsány, Nagyharsrsány and Siklós. The Continue reading
© 2008 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Highlights of a press trip to Vinho Verde, June 2008
It had been more than 10 years since I last visited Vinho Verde and I was keen to see all the changes that had taken place. Lying north of Oporto, it has a lush green hilly landscape, and is dissected by fast flowing rivers – more dramatic in scenery the further north you go towards the Spanish border.
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© 2008 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
21st Miguel Torres Wine Course
For the past 15 years, Torres have been trying to rediscover old Catalan varieties; so far they have discovered 58 of them and of these, 14 are unknown and autochthonous. Their Grans Muralles wine includes 2 of these rediscovered varieties: Garró and Samsó.
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© 2007 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
Navarra
These are some of the highlights of a whirlwind 2½ day press trip to Navarra. I was pleased to be going there, having been to the more famous Rioja a few times recently but never having had the opportunity to visit its somewhat Cinderella-like neighbour. We managed to cram in nine wineries in our short flying visit so below are only some of the highlights. Continue reading
© 2007 Susan Hulme MW. All rights reserved.
An organic/biodynamic demonstration in FA Geisenheim vineyards
The cow horn itself acts as a container for either a mixture of yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian or for cow manure (called green gold in Africa). The filled horn is buried in soil for between four to six months during which time it ‘ferments’. Continue reading