Today’s high-tech vintners of Israel’s Negev desert grow modern grape varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but a new study shows the region’s desolate sand was once home to very different cultivars – relics notable for past and future alike.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study compared the genetic information of a handful of grape pips from an excavated Byzantine monastery with hundreds of modern cultivars, and wild and table grapes from Israel and beyond.

‘The Negev Highlands has an interesting story that has not been told,’ said Guy Bar-Oz, a University of Haifa archaeologist, who has been excavating Byzantine settlements in the Negev Desert for the past six years.

‘We were aware of the massive communal wine presses but we didn’t know actually what [the settlers] were growing,’ Bar-Oz added.

According to the new genetic data, one of the Negev pips dated to the eighth century and likely originated from a grape that was white.

If archaeological remains can confirm the discovery, it could be the earliest white grape documented anywhere in the world – although the study notes that previous work has suggested the white colour of some varieties have multiple origins.

It’s possible this one grape could also answer a nagging historical mystery surrounding the identity of the famous Byzantine-era vinum Gazetum, or Gaza wine.

‘There is historical reference that speaks about this sweet white wine, the Gaza wine,’ Bar-Oz said.

The delicacy was produced in the Negev and shipped through the port of Gaza, from where it reached across the Mediterranean and onto the tables of monarchs in Germany, France and Britain. A lack of evidence of white varieties from the period has been puzzling, however.

Researchers in the latest study also shed more light on Byzantine trade. As grapevines made some of the largest profits of any crop in Byzantine times, the quality varieties from the Negev were disseminated along trade routes.

Bar-Oz and his team, for example, discovered that another ancient grape was an ancestor of a modern-day red variety called Asswad Karech in nearby Lebanon.

On the island of Crete, more than 1,000 kilometres away, an offspring of Asswad Karech was used to produce yet another historical wine: Malvasia – famous during medieval times and still made on the island today.

‘It’s a 1,500-year-old east Mediterranean phenomenon that tells a very important human history,’ Bar-Oz said. ‘It shows the connectivity between the Negev and European society.’

Discoveries in the Negev aren’t only valuable to understanding our past; researchers said their work may also be relevant for climate challenges today.

While desert communities knew how to engineer remarkable irrigation systems, it was just as vital for them to select the right grapevine cultivars, in what is an unusually extreme climate for Vitis vinifera.

‘The Negev is an area that receives around 100 millimetres of rain in a good year, with very strong fluctuations between seasons,’ Bar-Oz said. ‘Still, viticulture very much flourished in this area over centuries.’

Analysing these desert grapes’ molecular and genetic signatures could reveal why they were so resilient in such an arid environment.

Modern-day close relatives of ‘archaeological grapes’ could provide a platform for future study on grapevine resilience to such conditions, the study said.

‘We need to put much more effort into learning about the diversity of the ancient [vineyards], looking specifically for those that might be more resistant in arid environments,’ Bar-Oz said.

See the full study in PNAS.

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‘Do little stupid things’ may not sound like a recipe for success. Nor, for that matter, the best fatherly advice for Daniel Niepoort on becoming Niepoort’s sixth-generation head of winemaking in 2021. However, the open-minded attitude and logic behind it – ‘because you learn the most’ – are what enabled Dirk van der Niepoort to transform a relatively obscure Port house, founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1842, into one of the best known and most influential Portuguese wine and Port producers in the world.

Top Niepoort wines to try

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Mattia Scarpazza has worked for the best part of a decade at Petersham Nurseries Café, near Richmond-upon-Thames, currently as head sommelier. Since completing his WSET Diploma in 2019, he has pursued his interest in wine communication, with articles published in The Buyer and Sommelier Collective, also producing a podcast @lookingintowine.

Like many other Italian grapes, Pignolo is part of a group of obscure but remarkable varieties. Producers of Pignolo are releasing an ever-increasing number of accomplished wines, but the market is yet to catch up with it. I’m ready for it when it does.

The heartlands of Pignolo are Colli Orientale and Gorizia in Friuli. Both of these regions in northeast Italy are typically associated with white wines, but production of reds is growing steadily.

Pignolo produces wines that are deep red in colour with aromas of fresh flowers, bramble and olives; the tannins are robust and packed, balanced by uplifted acidity. Long maturation is proving the right way to produce Pignolo – think of the attributes of a gran reserva Rioja, although such an appellation does not exist in the region, yet. The wines are typically aged in large botti, though experimentation with amphorae is ongoing.

In my experience, the most soulful Pignolos are released into the market at around the 10 year mark – for example, Josko Gravner’s Rosso Breg 2006 (£305/magnum in bond, Starling Wines) was released in 2020 and Le Vigne di Zamò, Rosazzo Pignolo 2009 released in 2019.

What I’ve loved most from my explorations of this variety is how many producers tend to buck the trends, growing a variety that until recently wasn’t on anyone’s radar and then maturing it for a long time – showing a true belief in its potential. Pignolo is low-yielding compared to the more widely planted Refosco grape, and plantings had fallen sharply – but the trend is slowly reversing, thanks to a better understanding of the grape.

It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Pignolo, as producers are coming together to promote the variety. At the moment there are only about 50 estates that produce varietal Pignolo, but I’m certain this number will increase as its popularity grows. And not just in the region itself – I know of two producers who are looking at planting it in California.

Pignolo has the right to sit at the table of varieties known for their ageing ability, among the likes of Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. I believe that the best examples of Pignolo can easily age for 20 years or more, developing notes of cedarwood, cracked pepper and sweet spices as they evolve.

When it comes to food matching, much like Sangiovese, Pignolo shows at its best when served with a slow-cooked lamb shank with herbs and spices, polenta and seasonal greens – or try it with feta and tapenade on grilled bread.

A last word of advice: Pignolo wines are usually only available from specialist independent wine merchants, and in small quantities – these are not wines you will come across on the supermarket shelves. But it is worth the effort to seek them out.

Discover Pignolo: Scarpazza’s three to try

Ermacora, Pignolo (2016, £35 Vindinista) is a superb way to explore the variety, with its distinctive freshness, rich tannins and typical black olive aromas.

I would also highly recommend Radikon, Pignoli (2004, £72/50cl Buon Vino). Aged for a minimum of five years in botti and then cellared for six years, this is one for those who are looking to experience a mature, prime example of Pignolo. Enjoy the aromas – a medley of ripe red fruits and sweet spices – and the alluring palate.

For a more modern take on the grape, try the Visintini, Amphora series bottling (2014, £18.95 Lea & Sandeman). Fermented and matured in clay vessels, it’s abundant in wildflower and plum aromas.

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The certification verifies that the business has demonstrated high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

More than 1,200 UK companies have secured B Corp certification, but very few wine producers have completed the rigorous accreditation process. Rathfinny is the world’s first sparkling wine producer that grows all of its own grapes to gain B Corp status.

Co-founder Sarah Driver told decanter.com that the certification is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Rathfinny. ‘It has been a real journey for us, and it took a lot of hard work, but the key has been bringing people with us,’ she added. ‘Staff from every area of the business have contributed, and they have been key to our success.’

Driver decided to strive for B Corp certification after a chance encounter with the marketing director for smoothie maker Innocent Drinks while on holiday a few years ago. Innocent had just secured the certification, and Driver realised that B Lab Global’s ethos meshed perfectly with Rathfinny’s approach to sustainability and governance.

‘We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do, and it chimed with what we were already doing,’ she said. ‘We felt well aligned with what B Corp is trying to achieve. We were already doing all the right things, but we were not necessarily recording or even acknowledging them.’

Nevertheless, Driver said the process has taken the business to ‘new levels’, as it has created staff committees, overhauled its job descriptions for senior management and ultimately focused on putting people and the planet on a par with generating profits. ‘It has made us question and think about every area of our business – governance, workers, the environment, customers and our community,’ she said.

Rathfinny’s journey so far

Driver founded Rathfinny with her husband, Mark – a former hedge fund manager – in 2010 after they purchased a working arable farm in Sussex.

She did not initially intend to play a major role in running the business, but she is a lawyer by training, and she found herself taking on policy and legal work, while her husband managed the vineyard and production.

As the business evolved, she focused increasingly on running Rathfinny’s thriving tourism business, while also overseeing various commercial areas, and she is now the company chair.

The first vines were planted in 2012, and the plan is to eventually have 142 hectares under vine. Rathfinny now produces 300,000 bottles of sparkling wine per year, making it one of England’s largest winemakers, and it exports to a range of international markets.

More than 60,000 tourists visit the winery each year, and they are shown around the south-facing slope in the South Downs of Sussex, which offers ideal conditions for growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

There are 45 full-time members of staff, along with 45 ‘core casuals’, who work six to eight months of the year in the vineyard. Rathfinny also hires around 200 seasonal workers for each harvest, all of whom live within 10 miles of the estate.

‘Everybody told us we couldn’t do it, but we have worked really hard to build up our local workforce,’ said Driver. She added that staff from every area have contributed to discussions and panels en route to gaining B Corp status, and ‘everyone is conscious of being mindful about waste’.

There have also been commercial benefits to achieving the certification. ‘When you sell to the monopolies in Scandinavia, you have to have these environmental credentials,’ said Driver. ‘We have just started shipping to China, and a lot of the businesses in China need it too, which is great to see.’

Aiming for net zero by 2030

The company is currently celebrating the certification, but the next goal is to achieve carbon net zero by 2030.

Rathfinny has opted to measure its carbon emissions by the strictest international standards – laid down by Washington DC-based GHG Protocol – which means it cannot gain credit for the 380,000 vines it has planted or the trees on the estate, which act as a natural carbon sink.

As such, reaching net zero will be a challenge, but the team is undeterred. It has already added 1,500 solar panels to the winery roof, which generates green energy for production and for the wider community, while Rathfinny has also applied to construct a wind turbine.

It has worked with Natural England, the National Trust and the South Downs National Park to implement a programme of improvements to enhance wildlife habitats, while reviving and reclaiming areas of natural chalk grassland and creating wildlife corridors to improve biodiversity.

The company has reduced cardboard use by 26%, and Driver hopes to see the industry move away from using gift boxes to present sparkling wines in retail outlets in the future.

It may ultimately need to explore some form of offsetting to achieve net zero, but it would only consider offsetting via a local project that it has control over.

From a commercial perspective, Rathfinny increased sales by 94% year-on-year in 2022, and it is now poured at many of the UK’s top hotels and restaurants, with listings in a variety of independent retailers too. ‘Serious restaurants now have to have an English sparkling wine, and there is a huge opportunity in restaurants around the world too,’ said Driver.

Exports are growing, from Canada to Japan, and the Drivers were delighted to see Sussex gain PDO status last year. ‘It’s a real mark of quality,’ Sarah Driver said. ‘Our ambition is that in 20 years’ time you will walk into a bar or restaurant in New York or Beijing and you’ll be asked, “would you like a glass of Champagne or a delicious glass of Sussex? I can recommend Rathfinny.”’

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Hosting a masterclass at Vinitaly in Verona – one of the wine world’s biggest wine fairs, and Italy’s most prominent – Richard Baudains presented 10 top-scoring Italian wines from the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 to a captivated audience.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, with judging commencing this week, the DWWA is a huge operation. Richard explained that last year, 18,244 wines were entered from 54 countries, and involved 237 experts from around the world, including 54 Masters of Wine and 16 Master Sommeliers.

Richard Baudains presenting to the trade at Vinitaly 2023

While wine competitions of old were based on analytical scoring – individual scores for each element, such as appearance, nose, palate were added up, and the final score was the average of every judge’s totals – the DWWA has always emphasised independent judgement, using what Richard described as a ‘symposium of tasters’ tasting flights of wines blind and then discussing the results. Those awarded Gold medals (95-96 points) are grouped by category and re-tasted blind by a different team of experts, and all those achieving a Platinum medal (97-100 points) are retasted by the Co-Chairs, who finally pick out the Best in Show wines – just 0.2% of the total number of wines entered.

The DWWA 2022 awards were a success for Italian wines, just pipping France to first place with 3,100 medals to 3,097. Of the 50 Best in Show wines, nine were Italian; while Italy also represented 24 of 165 Platinum medal winners and 114 of 676 Gold medal winners.

Richard noted that 44% of entries achieved a Bronze medal (86-89 points), which is ‘encouraging because it means the quality of the wines is going up and up.’

The 10 masterclass wines

The 10 wines in the masterclass were personally picked out by Richard, representing a variety of styles.

First, the Masottina RDO Levante Extra Dry Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Rive 2021, a mouthful to say and a delicious mouthful to drink, with pear fruit brightened by flecks of apricot, apple and a mineral steeliness. Richard noted that Masottina were the first Prosecco producer to win a Gold medal, and in 2022 they achieved a very impressive Platinum medal with 97 points awarded by the judges.

The second wine, Mandrarossa’s Fiano Terre Siciliane 2021 from Sicily represents great quality for the price, achieving a 97-point score and a Best in Show award. Aromatic, juicy, vibrant and super-fresh, it’s bursting with pithy citrus peel, garrigue herbs and underlying soft creaminess. Delicious!

Going back up to the north of the country, Tiefenbrunner’s Feldmarschall von Fenner 2020 from Alto Adige is a 100% Müller-Thurgau full of focused mineral-drenched aromas and flavours: zingy green fruits, yellow plum, white pepper and bitter herbs, all wrapped up in a fresh and juicy package. It achieved a Gold medal and 95 points at DWWA 2022.

Richard picked out the next wine as he admitted he has a soft spot for the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, given that he lives in the region! But Muzic’s Stare Brajde 2020 from Collio DOC makes the list on merit too, achieving a Platinum medal and 97 points at the DWWA 2022. Almost salty in character, it’s round and weighty with subtle texture and flavours of yellow plum, stone fruits and orange peel, cut through by a vein of juicy fruit. A mouthwatering finish completes this impressive wine.

Moving to Emilia-Romagna, Oinoe’s 4.0 Rea Malvasia 2020 from Colli di Parma is an incredibly perfumed white bursting with potpourri-infused white peach, and medicinal notes. Intense, textured and fresh, its sapid stone fruit character leads to a pithy finish. Only around 2,000 bottles were produced but it’s worth seeking out given the Platinum medal and 97 points it was awarded last year.

The indigenous Cagnulari variety from Sardinia takes centre stage in Chessa’s Cagnulari Isole dei Nuraghi 2020, which achieved a Best in Show medal and 97 points in 2022. Richard described it as a ‘raunchy style’, and its soft brambly fruit is certainly appealing, its ripe and flesh berries cut by very fresh acidity and finishing with a stony, earthy quality.

Tuscany achieved the most medals of all Italian regions last year, and Riecine’s Vigna Gittori Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019 is a great example of why this region is flying high. Best in Show and 97 points is just the start, as this will no doubt improve with ageing. Black tea and perfumed red fruit aromas lead to an intense palate with a sweet, delicate core of pretty violet and lavender, cherry and wild strawberry wrapped in well integrated wood and zippy acidity.

Another one for the cellar is Ciabot Berton’s Roggeri Barolo 2017. It also achieved a Best in Show award and 97 points. Showing all the balsamic nuance of the hot and dry 2017 vintage, it has a big, bold structure with gum-gripping tannins and some timid cherry and dried fruits, accompanied on the finish by some earthy notes and succulent acidity. Give it time and it will no doubt soar.

Yet another Best in Show and 97 points comes from Zenato in Veneto, whose Sergio Zenato Amarone delle Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2016 is an absolute stunner. Intense, spicy and complex, it showcases dried black cherry, plum, raspberry coulis and cocoa-infused tannins, with balsamic and medicinal notes. It’s of course full bodied, yet surprisingly light on its feet and incredibly fresh.

Back to Tuscany for a Platinum medal winner with 97 points, Tenuta di Capezzana’s Vin Santo di Carmignano Riserva 2014 is such a rarity that the bottles for this masterclass were kindly provided from the estate’s private stocks. Vin Santo is a classic Italian sweet wine, here made with dried Trebbiano (90%) and San Colombano (10%) grapes matured for more than five years in casks of different wood species under the winery’s loft roof. Super-bright, aromatic and nutty, it displays hints of dried fruits, apricot jam, lime juice and raisins. A truly delicious, complex sweet wine.

View all Italian wine results from Decanter World Wine Awards 2022

The post Masterclass report: Italian Showstoppers from the Decanter World Wine Awards appeared first on Decanter.

Get through the working week, and it’s time to crack open something a little bit more special.

As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20 and £50.

Wines for the weekend: April 2023

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The Decanter in-house tasting team spends an awful lot of time out and about at tastings, finding new and exciting wines, or new vintages of existing wines, for everyday drinking. Here, we bring you 25 top picks that are all ready to drink now, available in the UK and priced at £20 or less.

This month’s highlights

Must-try white: Greywacke, Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand 2022

Must-try red: Textura da Estrela, Tinto, Serra da Estrela, Dão, Portugal 2018 

Must-try sweet: Aldi, Specially Selected Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Jerez, Spain 

As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20 and £50.

Wines for the week: April 2023

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The post Wines for the week: April 2023 appeared first on Decanter.

All the world’s major cities have more than their fair share of Italian restaurants, and London – with more than 2,000, according to one recent estimate – is no exception. But over the past 36 years Italian food has had a disproportionate influence on the dining scene here, thanks to one restaurant, The River Café, which opened on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith in 1987, and placed the same importance on wine as it did on food.

It also spawned a whole generation of entrepreneurial young chefs who adopted the philosophy and set up their own restaurants in the River Café mould. Most notably Jamie Oliver, but also including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Sam and Sam Clark, Stevie Parle and Theo Randall.

None of them were Italian, and neither were their River Café mentors Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray, two women who were just passionate about Italian food. Nor indeed was another ambassador for regional Italian cooking, Angela Hartnett, who came to fame through the Gordon Ramsay stable (but at least has an Italian grandmother). The only Italian to dominate the London scene in quite that way has been Giorgio Locatelli, who opened his eponymous restaurant Locanda Locatelli in 2002.

Wines to match

Maybe it’s because they were outsiders that these chefs appreciated just what simple Italian food had to offer without having the desire to reinvent it. Coincidentally, the wine offering at many of these establishments was moulded by another outsider, Canadian David Gleave MW, who used to work for Italian importer Enotria before setting up his own business Liberty Wines, and who has consistently championed the huge diversity of Italian wines.

These pioneer restaurants were fortunate to have been established when they were. Today’s restaurateurs are no less interested in wine, but are having to operate under far greater constraints, not least the crippling expense of trading in central London. This has led many to focus on just pasta or, even more profitably, pizza, and high-margin cocktails rather than wine. But there are still some real gems with fantastic wine lists out there, so treat yourself at one of the best London Italian restaurants you may not have heard of.

Bocca di Lupo

12 Archer Street, W1D 7BB
Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus/Leicester Square

Savvy Italophiles cherish the knowledge that there is a small oasis of civilisation in the midst of the West End theatreland madness – Jacob Kenedy’s small convivial restaurant Bocca di Lupo. Kenedy, one of those rare chefs who is genuinely interested in wine, spends time in Italy sourcing bottles for his imaginative, regionally based wine list, picking up ideas for dishes along the way. The seafood risotto I had there recently was inspired by a summer trip to Campania.

Although the compact dining room is cosy, it’s more fun sitting at the bar to watch the kitchen at work and the food going out at the pass. Great for a pre-theatre drink and a snack.

Don’t miss Kenedy’s regularly changing themed menus that make the most of seasonal ingredients such as artichokes and truffles.

Brutto

35-37 Greenhill Rents, EC1M 6BN
Nearest tube: Farringdon/Barbican

Credit: Paul Winch-Furness

A new restaurant from Russell Norman (ex Polpo) is always newsworthy, but this self-consciously kitsch Farringdon trattoria extends his usual territory – beyond the cicchetti bars of Venice – to Florence. It’s a homely menu full of hearty rustic dishes like pappardelle with rabbit and sausages with lentils, accompanied by hearty Tuscan wines (although there is also bistecca alla Fiorentina if you feel like splashing out). No culinary fireworks, no wallet-busting wines, just a really fun place to hang out with friends – though be warned, it can be noisy. Oh, and there’s Chianti in fiaschi (the straw-covered bottles).

Don’t miss Kicking off with one of Norman’s excellent £5 Negroni cocktails.

Eataly

Broadgate Circle, 135 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3YD
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street

If Las Vegas created an Italian deli it would look something like Eataly, a mind-blowingly huge selection of every type of Italian food and drink you can imagine, with walls full of different wines. You will probably be so exhausted going round it you’ll need a pitstop, which is the main reason to eat at one of its three restaurants and bars. These are not, I think it’s fair to say, in the same league as the rest of the restaurants in this line-up. So why am I including Eataly? Because you can buy one of the excellent bottles and take it into a restaurant for a modest corkage fee, and if you stick to salumi, cheese or pizza you could spend a very congenial couple of hours doing your midweek shopping. And it’s an extraordinary experience.

Don’t miss The opportunity to shop for your next dinner party.

Enoteca Turi

87 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8PH
Nearest tube: Sloane Square

Around for more than 30 years, Enoteca Turi only recently moved to its current home in Pimlico – but it fits it like a glove. It’s highly personal and quite charmingly old-fashioned. When I visited, a slightly doddery octogenarian was being escorted to the door on the arm of one of the waiting staff with a cheery ‘See you on Saturday’. The other draw is the quite exceptional wine list, clearly a passion of the owner Giuseppe Turi and something that no restaurant starting from scratch these days could possibly afford. If you were dining alone it would keep you happily engrossed throughout the meal. Traditional dishes like calf’s liver and rabbit in porchetta are also matched with wines on the list.

Don’t miss The chance to dive into some stellar old Barolo wines.

Luca

88 St John Street, EC1M 4EH
Nearest tube: Farringdon/Barbican

An unlikely offshoot of London’s famous Clove Club in Shoreditch, Luca combines a top-end fine-dining restaurant with an exceptionally cosy trat-style bar. With a great list of its own, the restaurant is very focused on wine lovers. Let them know what you want to drink in advance and they’ll make sure it’s perfectly served – or bring along your own bottle for a corkage charge of £35. The food is more Britalian than classic Italian: pretty and light, although pasta is a particularly strong suit. I could eat the celestial crab cacio e pepe every day. Skim through the wine list (which comes on an iPad) for a suitable match. There’s a particularly good selection by the glass.

Don’t miss The addictive Parmesan fries (with a glass of Franciacorta).

Manteca

49-51 Curtain Road, EC2A 3PT
Nearest tube: Old Street

Credit: Anton Rodriguez

One of the leading lights of the new breed of natural wine bars and restaurants but with an Italian twist and the USP of an ‘in house’ salumeria (ask for a seat opposite the slicing machine so you can watch the action). There are also lots of other fashionably on-trend features such as house-made ricotta, home-made sausages and hand-rolled pasta. It’s a very short stroll from Old Street station in the lively Shoreditch/Hoxton area, and the excellent Passione e Vino is almost next door if you want to do a bit of a natural wine crawl. (Manteca also offers more classic wine dinner options, too.)

Don’t miss The house Mortadella.

Murano

20 Queen Street, W1J 5PP
Nearest tube: Green Park

Credit: John Carey

Angela Hartnett has become such a familiar face on our screens that it’s easy to forget she’s also a successful restaurateur. Murano in Mayfair is her original – and most expensive – restaurant, but it’s not in the least bit stuffy and, unusually for an Italian restaurant, offers both vegetarian and vegan menus. For those who don’t want to stick to Italian wine there are plenty of other options, including a significant amount of Burgundy, though by-the-glass is definitely not the way to go here. Dive into the less familiar byways of the list – including a surprisingly large selection of sweet wines – and there are some much more affordable picks.

Don’t miss Hartnett’s pied de mouton mushroom risotto (part of an innovative vegan set lunch).

Theo Randall at the InterContinental

1 Hamilton Place, W1J 7QY
Nearest tube: Hyde Park Corner/Green Park

Credit: Chris Terry

If you don’t fancy schlepping over to the River Café’s somewhat out-of-the way Hammersmith location (or don’t fancy its prices), you could do worse than try its former head chef Theo Randall’s restaurant at the InterContinental on Hyde Park Corner. Hotel restaurants aren’t always the most exciting venues but this is an elegant, quiet, central spot with very accomplished cooking and a more than decent wine list (an advantage of being part of an international hotel chain). The pasta is particularly good, as you’d expect from a River Café alumnus.

Don’t miss The excellent monthly regional menus. The weekend brunches are great value, too.

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The post A taste of Italy in London appeared first on Decanter.

Demetri Walters MW

Demetri Walters MW is a wine educator and presenter with many years of experience selling wine, providing product training, running wine schools, and hosting corporate & private wine tasting events to groups of all sizes, all over the world.

Now an independent wine consultant, Demetri held both retail and trade-orientated positions for more than 18 years with the prestigious Berry Bros. & Rudd. His approach to presenting wine is amusing, accessible and entertaining. He is an expert at leading wine tasting events, conducting private wine tuition, providing specialist presentations at third party wine fairs and Master of Wine educational seminars, and is a seasoned international wine judge. Demetri also offers wine trade training, WSET education and wine list advice to restaurants, venues and airlines. His remit is international and involves teaching wine students, private clients, on-trade customers (pub & restaurant teams, sommeliers and corporate wholesale customers) and distributors all over the world, including in Britain & Ireland, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Demetri was made a Master of Wine in 2013, his thesis for which brought him back to his formative interest in Cypriot wine. He is a consultant voice for numerous wine regions, particularly those of the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, and is a regular speaker on sweet and fortified wines.

The post DWWA Judge Profile: Demetri Walters MW appeared first on Decanter.

Matt Wilkin MS

Matt Wilkin MS has travelled the globe for 30 years immersing himself in all facets of the wine industry; from humble beginnings in McLaren Vale South Australia, before venturing further afield to the UK in 1998 following a number of years working in hospitality & wineries throughout Australia and France.

Matt has held a variety of prestigious roles including Executive Sommelier with Chef Eric Chavot at Michelin two-starred Capital Hotel Group London, where he oversaw wine purchasing, staff training, private client tastings & cellar management for 6 operations. He now jointly owns London-based wine company H2Vin specialising in the Loire, Burgundy, Rhône, Spain & South Africa. Matt also consults several London restaurants, educates and adjudicates for the Court of Master Sommeliers’ worldwide, assists as a regular Judge for The UK Sommelier of the Year Competition, TEXSOM IWA and Decanter World Wine Awards.

His dedication has been recognised through a number of high profile Awards and Achievements: Champagne Trophée Ruinart UK Sommelier of the Year 2005, MS Diploma Court of Master Sommeliers, WSET Diploma, Dom Perignon Award of Excellence 2004, Wine International Sommelier of the Year 2002, Harpers & Queen / Moët & Chandon UK Sommelier of the Year 2002, Hunters & Frankau 2002 Cigar Travel Award Scholarship, Gosset Champagne Trophée Cèlébris UK 2002 and Young Australian Achiever of the Year in the UK 2009.

Away from wine Matt is an avid Sports Motorcyclist, recreational Skier, Canoeist, Mountain Trekker, plays league Squash and Chilterns league Cricket in Buckinghamshire.

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Lydia Harrison MW is Head of Education and Events at WSET School London

Lydia is Head of Education and Events at WSET School London where she looks after the School’s offering of all Level 1 – 3 courses as well as a diverse programme of non-qualification events. She teaches all levels of WSET wine qualifications, specialising in French wine regions, particularly Bordeaux, as well as fortified wines.

Lydia became a Master of Wine in 2019 and supports the IMW through mentoring students, marking practice papers and helping deliver course days and seminars.

Prior to education, Lydia worked in retail for Majestic Wine where she completed her WSET diploma with distinction and was awarded the Vintners’ Scholarship for achieving the highest mark in the UK trade.

She has previously judged for the CIVB and is a certified Bordeaux tutor.

Lydia joins as a judge for the Decanter World Wine Awards for the first time in 2023.

See more judges for the 2023 DWWA.

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Charles Curtis MW

Charles Curtis MW is a veteran of more than 20 years in the wine trade and has held a variety of posts over this time.  His professional career began as a chef, trained in Paris, after which he worked in restaurants around the world. In October 2004, Curtis became the 22nd Master of Wine in the United States and he has held the role of head of wine for Christie’s in both the Americas and Asia. Curtis writes regularly for a number of magazines and his book, The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy, appeared in 2014.

He has been a featured speaker at dozens of wine and food festivals and currently advises private, trade and institutional clients on fine wine and the auction trade through his company WineAlpha.

See more 2023 Regional Chairs.

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Peter Csizmadia-Honigh

Peter is a wine writer based in Somerset, the UK and with a base in Hungary’s Somló wine region too. As the author of The Wines of India, a Concise Guide, the OIV award-winning title of The Press Publishing (www.thewinesofindia.com), he has been featured on BBC World News and in The Hindustan Times.

An English literature, economics and pedagogy graduate from the University of Budapest, Peter joined the UK wine trade in 2005 and worked as the education manager of the Institute of Masters of Wine until 2014. Having moved into corporate life, he is the Head of HR for Tetra Pak in the UK, Ireland & the Benelux. Peter completed an LLM in labour law and corporate governance with distinction at the University of Bristol; and he is working on the second, fully digital edition of The Wines of India, launching in 2023.

He completed the WSET Diploma in London, became a certified Sherry educator in Jerez and ran Royal Somló Vineyards, crafting Juhfark wines for Michelin-star restaurants, between 2007 and 2022. Peter regularly reviews the wines of Bordeaux, Chianti, Germany and India and teaches wine classes in India. He was the recipient of the 2014 Geoffrey Roberts Award.

In 2020 and 2021 Peter was an Acting Regional Chair for the DWWA competition.

Follow Peter on Twitter @borvilag

See more 2023 Regional Chairs.

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Robert Mathias

Robert Mathias works as a Wine Buyer at Bibendum PLB, London, where he is responsible for sourcing wine from France, Central and Eastern Europe and the Far East and managing the portfolio for both on-trade (Bibendum) and off-trade (Walker & Wodehouse, PLB).

Having worked in the wine industry since 2014, he has gained knowledge of the whole supply chain process thanks to several roles within Bibendum and Conviviality Plc.

In 2018, Robert became a Masters of Wine student. He joined the DWWA for the first time as a judge in 2019.

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As wine lovers and investors are presented with the opportunity to acquire a sole-ownership cellar of outstanding comprehensiveness and value, we delve into the collection’s contents for a better understanding of its character and uniqueness.

The below are but a few highlights of an incredible line up of more than 5,400 bottles, all of which were curated carefully through years of thorough tasting and research. A combination of knowledge, experience and passion that yielded a comprehensive collection covering the world’s most iconic regions and producers. Alongside well-established names are also mavericks – the icons of tomorrow – making this collection both valuable and exciting.

The close relationship between the collector and the different brokers and producers not only allowed access to rare bottles but also guarantees the authenticity and traceability of each bottle in this fantastic cellar.

Highlights from a Unique Wine Collection

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Discovering Marsala is a journey towards a charming and unique universe. Behind each bottle there are centuries of history, endless stories, and alchemic transformations – a time capsule of powerful flavours, deep aromas and much wonder. Cantina Florio is the flagship guardian of this heritage and has reaffirmed its mission to preserve and communicate the intricate complexity of one of Sicily’s most fascinating wines. With the launch of its new range, Cantina Florio is redefining Marsala by bringing its essence – and many faces – to the forefront.

English entrepreneurship as inspiration

Marsala was created at the crossroads of Sicily’s ancestral winemaking traditions and English entrepreneurship. When the British arrived on the western coast of Sicily in the late 18th century, they recognised the potential to produce wines with the nuance and complexity of their much loved Madeiras, Ports and Sherries.

One such British entrepreneur, John Woodhouse, played a particular important role in the creation of Marsala and the consolidation of its reputation and commercial success. It was Woodhouse that, among other goods traded by his company, shipped the first Marsala wine to English soil. The acclaim with which the wines were received meant that this would be the first shipment of many, and that Marsala would evolve well beyond an alternative to Portuguese and Spanish counterparts.

A unique, complex, fascinating Italian wine was thus born.

Marsala – the crafting of a new jewel

British wine merchants turned wine entrepreneurs catalysed the emergence of a vibrant community, made of passionate producers and tradesmen, that would soon elevate Marsala to one of Sicilian wine’s crown jewels.

But Marsala only became truly Italian when, in 1833, Vincenzo Florio (1799-1868) purchased land located between the Woodhouse and Ingham-Whitaker factories. This ‘latecomer’ would soon stand out and wear down the British monopoly – by the turn of the 19th century the craftsmanship and quality of Florio wines had made it a synonym with the best Marsalas.

Following the social and economic turmoil of the early 20th century, Marsala struggled, as did so many other wine regions, with a stalled market. An important transformation was possible however, when Woodhouse, Ingham-Whitaker and Florio merged under the latter’s banner. Continuous investment and research throughout the second half of the century and first years of the new millennium allowed for an evolution that culminates, today, in a true redefinition of Marsala.

One philosophy, many stories to tell

The production of Marsala at Florio is understood as an artistic endeavour that requires as much mindfulness as technical acumen. Following the harvest of the Grillo grapes, the winemakers engage in a process of careful listening – an approach shaped by the constant dialogue between nature and technique, between vineyard and cellar, between potential for evolution and intuition; a daily navigation through the art of tasting, experimenting and reexamining. This traced the path for that critical moment when alcohol and sifone/mistella (or just alcohol for Marsala Vergine) are added to the base wine, marking the true birth of Marsala; the birth of a ‘new creature’ that, after experiencing the sun and the sea, thrives in a different environment shaped by wood, time and the whispering breezes of the cellar.

Cathedral-like in their expanse and magnificence, the Florio cellars have an inner geography of their own, which takes the concept of terroir further than imaginable, making the location of barrels an integral part of Marsala’s development. In the sectors closer to the sea the moderate temperature and ‘brackish’ humidity lead the wines to acquire hints of seaweed and umami flavours. Higher temperature and lower level of humidity in the areas less influenced by the Mediterranean breezes endow Marsala wines with complex and various tertiary aromas.

The singularity of this process is no longer the winemaker’s secret: newly-designed ‘storyteller labels’ trace the path of the wine from grape to cellar, defining a map of its character and evolution. They invite the drinker to become part of this journey whilst delving into the process that preceded that magic moment when the lips touch the precious nectar.

Florio’s new Marsala collection

Florio’s new collection offers a unique overview of the complexity and diversity that defines Marsala – because indeed Marsala is not a style, but an artistic endeavour in which craftsmanship, nature and time conspire to create uniqueness in each barrel.

A comprehensive panorama of the different styles and inner geographies of Marsala Florio, allowing different journeys through time – from the 2017 Marsala Superiore to the very rare Marsala Superiore Riserva of 1994 – and space – exploring the distance that the barrels have had from the sea, the natural element that powerfully influences the complex ageing dynamics of Marsala Florio.

The range includes gentler expressions, produced in larger numbers of bottles (Classic and Premium), as well as extremely rare, limited edition highly-collectible pieces (Exclusive).

Classic

• Marsala Vergine Riserva 2009 – VR1609
• Marsala Superiore Secco 2016 – SS1516
• Marsala Superiore Riserva Semisecco 2015 – SR2715
• Marsala Superiore Dolce 2017 – SD1217

Premium

• Marsala Superiore Riserva Semisecco 2007 -SR0207
• Marsala Vergine Riserva 2004 – VR0504

Exclusive

• Marsala Superiore Riserva Semisecco 2001 – SR0301
• Marsala Superiore Riserva Secco 2000 – SS0900
• Marsala Vergine Riserva 1998 – VR1898
• Marsala Superiore Riserva Dolce 1994 – SD0294

Discover more about Cantina Florio

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The long-established Lombardy family of Gussalli Beretta, known for five centuries of entrepreneurial leadership, have always been engaged in agriculture producing, amongst other things, small quantities of wine for their own use. This passion took a clear shape in 1974, with the foundation of the wine estate at the family property in Franciacorta and, in the years that followed, with the creation of a group of wineries which extends from the Alto Adige to the Langhe and from Chianti Classico to Abruzzo.  The below is a selection of the current releases from three of the estates, all in top DOCGs and each showcasing the Gussalli Beretta dedication to the expression of terroir and the sense of place.

Lo Sparviere, Monticelli Brusati, Franciacorta

Lo sparviere is the sparrowhawk sculpted on the monumental fireplace of the hall of the 16th century villa of the Gussalli Beretta family, which gives its name to the estate. The property (pictured above) counts 30ha of vineyard on slopes in the eastern corner of the DOCG, planted principally to Chardonnay and managed organically since 2013. The soils, which give the Sparviere wines their structure and longevity, are calcareous marls typical of the pre-alpine chain of Lombardy, but rare in the Franciacorta area south of Lake Iseo. The complexity of the house style, on the other hand, comes from the separate vinification of up to 15 different plots assembled in the final cuvées.
For more information visit losparviere.it

Lo Spaviere Franciacorta Brut Millesimato 2016
96 points
This classic blanc de blancs is made from low yield, hand-selected grapes from the estate’s vineyards at Provaglio d’Iseo. Four years on the lees has produced a rich mousse, super-fine perlage and complex, mature aromas which open with buttered toast and follow through with notes of honey and beeswax, sweet herbs, fresh apricot and citrus peel. The palate has a lovely round, creamy texture, but also firm underlying structure and a finish which contrasts tangy sapidity with a delicate note of liqueur.
Drink 2023-2028.

Castello di Radda, Radda, Chianti Classico

Radda is one of Chianti Classico’s most fascinating terroirs and the source of wines with an unmistakable character which derives both from the lean calcareous-clay soils and also – perhaps above all – from the climate. Altitudes stretching up to 450m and the proximity of the Monti del Chianti make Radda one of the coolest and last-picked growing areas of the denomination. Gussalli Beretta arrived here in 2003, replanted the vineyards and built state-of-the-art underground cellars with the aim of creating a range of wines which speak of this unique terroir. The organic-certified estate extends over 40ha, in an area of rugged beauty and extreme biodiversity – Radda is the most densely wooded comune of the entire DOCG.
For more information visit www.castellodiradda.it

Castello di Radda, Chianti Classico 2020
95 points
This is a young Chianti Classico with all the nervy energy of the wines of Radda. Bright in the glass, the nose opens with damson and black cherry, a touch of earthiness. In the background there’s the hint of iris typical of cooler climate Sangiovese. Powdery fine tannins bring texture to the palate, underscored by an acidity which gives the wine a lovely juicy quality. Bone dry, tangy finish with a return of the plummy fruit. Drink 2023-2026

Castello di Radda, Chianti Classico Riserva 2016
97 points
Here one sees the complexity and depth of flavours of a Riserva from a great vintage. There are wild berries on the nose, a touch of newsprint and the delicate sweet spices of the perfectly judged handling of the oak.  Seamless integration of the tannins gives suppleness to the palate and the succulent acidity a progression towards a long aromatic finish. Thoroughbred Sangiovese, drinking now but with no fear of further bottle time.
Drink 2023-2030

Fortemasso, Monforte d’Alba

Castelletto MGA

Gussalli Beretta acquired this estate in the prestigious comune of Monforte d’Alba in 2013. The original vineyards were maintained, but completely new, eco-sensitive, underground cellars were built and entered into production in the same year. The property extends over 5ha on the top and central slopes of the Castelletto MGA, faces east across the valley towards Serralunga, and includes 1ha in the historic cru of Pressenda. It counts a further 3ha in San Sebastiano di Monforte d’Alba. The high sand content of the Arenaria di Diano soils gives the wines a characteristic sapidity and finesse which is carefully nurtured in the vinification and ageing through submerged cap maceration and the judicious mix of barriques and larger casks.
For more information visit www.fortemasso.it

Fortemasso, Barolo Castelletto 2017
95 points
A nose of medium intensity and great purity opens with notes of moss and violets, and there is a hint of slightly smoky, charred steak before the wild berries emerge. The palate has the soft, round tannins of the vintage and bags of energy in the progression towards a warm, grippy finish with a return of the ripe fruit and a touch of aniseed. Great drinkability. Ready now, but no hurry to open a bottle which will continue to develop in the mid-term.
Drink 2023-2027

Fortemasso, Barolo Castelletto Riserva 2016
98 points
The nose opens slowly, but then reveals all the classic descriptors of a Barolo from a superb vintage in which bright fruit mingles with aromas of laurel, wood ash, camphor and a touch of white pepper. There is restrained energy in the beautifully balanced palate and great length in the concentrated aromatic finish. A wine which combines power and finesse, with the sleekness of contemporary Barolo. Drinking now, but with notable ageing potential.
Drink 2023-2030

Discover more about Agricole Gussalli Beretta

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Entering the Bubble Room at J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, diners attending the Shifting the Lens dinner encountered a sensory experience different from a traditional wine pairing meal. The table linens were a brightly coloured orange and pink print, colourful flowers floated in water as centrepieces at each table and the wafting aromas of Indian cuisine filled the room. This was a far cry from the usual understated tasting environment expected in the wine industry.

Chef Preeti Mistry is partnering with J for Shifting the Lens, which spotlights diversity through a series of wine-pairing dinners. Mistry paired Indian-inspired dishes with classic Russian River Valley still and sparkling wines from the extensive J portfolio for the event.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for two J Vineyards wines from Brianne Cohen

A new approach to pairings

Chef Preeti Mistry at Shifting the Lens. Credit: Nikki Ritcher

J, founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, was one of the first California producers to make still and sparkling wines. The depth of the J portfolio – which includes over 30 wines – lends itself to experimentation and pairing potential for Shifting the Lens, which launched in 2022 with three chefs.

London-born Mistry grew up in the US. Mistry is Indian and identifies as queer. They are a James Beard Foundation nominee and Top Chef contestant. Mistry trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and had two acclaimed Bay Area restaurants: Juhu Beach Club and Navi Kitchen. In 2020 Mistry and their wife moved to a cabin in the woods in Guerneville rural Sonoma, where they eventually met the team at J.

Mistry and the J team created the dinner series as a mutual idea and vision. Mistry’s role was to focus on recruiting chefs cooking non-European cuisine who also had a sensibility for social justice and change. Mistry says: ‘We want people who are about something. Who have a distinct point of view and have something to share and bring to the table in these conversations.’

Mistry created a five-course culinary experience that included Indian-inspired dishes and farm-to-table ingredients – two things that are not mutually exclusive. At Mistry’s two Bay Area restaurants, they went to farmers’ markets twice a week, had relationships with multiple farmers, and made most menu items from scratch – all things that epitomise farm-to-table.

True farm-to-table

Credit: Nikki Ritcher

Mistry shares that in an unaired scene for Parts Unknown, filmed at Juhu Beach Club, Anthony Bourdain exclaimed: ‘THIS is the real farm to table’, after meeting one of the service staffers who was also a grower/producer that Preeti sourced from. Mistry continues: ‘There’s this deep assumption that if you’re cooking European cuisine in a nice enough environment, they must use the best (farm-to-table) ingredients. But someone like myself has to shout it from the rooftops to get people to believe the same thing.’

At the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in late January, it was reported that by 2040, 55% of 30-year-olds in the US will identify as multicultural (Census Bureau US). The importance of diversifying who drinks and learns about wine is not lost on Mistry, as the food world is in the same predicament. According to Mistry: ‘The larger dining world hasn’t made itself welcoming or inclusive. You’ll get left behind if you don’t meet the basic expectation of having a more “poly-cultural” outlook with your wine, brand, or experiences.’

In crafting their Shifting the Lens menu, Mistry aimed to create pairings to make you think and to question assumptions. Trial and error reigned in the tasting trials. Mistry and the J team wrote up pairing ideas, and not one made the final menu. ‘My goal is to create an experience where you taste two things together and get to another place. A third place,’ Mistry says.

‘People assume you don’t drink red wine with Indian food,’ comments Mistry. ‘I want to dispel this myth that there are these prescribed rules about what you’re supposed to have with certain cuisines.’

One of the highlights of the dinner was a single-vineyard Pinot Noir paired with an eggplant biryani dish. Mistry felt a structured Pinot Noir could hold up to the myriad of Indian spices in the dish: ‘For me, it’s about adding another dimension to the dish and creating another experience.’

Shifting the Lens – seeing themselves

Mistry reinforces the idea that people want to see themselves. ‘When I grew up in the eighties, I didn’t have high expectations because we literally didn’t exist in the media.’ Millenials and Generation Z expect to see a representation of themselves. ‘I now expect to see the companies I want to champion doing good things. I want to see my values represented and mirrored in some way.’

Next up for Shifting the Lens is a second series of culinary experiences with Mistry and two other chefs. First up in May, chef Tu David Phu, an Oakland-born first-generation Vietnamese-American whose family hails from the island of Phu Quoc, the birthplace of fish sauce in Asia. His family has produced small-batch artisanal Phu Quoc Fish Sauce, considered the Champagne of fish sauces, since 1895.

Chef Ana Castro will join the Shifting the Lens family in September. Ana was raised in Mexico City but resides in New Orleans, where she runs the restaurant Lengua Madre, showcasing Mexican cuisine but with a southern American sensibility.

Two J Vineyards wines to try

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From a certain viewpoint in Macouba on the island of Martinique, you can look down at the resplendent red and green Rhum JM Distillery in all its glory. Sitting at the base of the active Mount Pelée volcano, and enveloped by lush flora and fauna, the distillery, founded in 1845, is very much part of the island’s natural landscape. It is also, I think, the best-looking distillery I’ve ever laid my eyes on.

Head 1,176km across the Caribbean Sea and Jamaica’s Long Pond Distillery, set off a dusty side road, covered in cobwebs and purely industrial in its set-up couldn’t be more of a juxtaposition. And yet, they both make some of the Caribbean’s most characterful and distinctive rums.

Past and present

The history of how the Caribbean came to make rum is a storied one. Sugarcane – the raw material used to make rum – has a history of its own. It collides with the Caribbean via the controversial figure of Christopher Columbus, who brought its cultivation to the region at the end of the 15th century. With it came colonisation and slavery – and the first inklings of rum as we know it today.

It is said that African slaves brought to the Caribbean to cultivate sugar realised that its by-product – molasses – could be distilled to make an alcoholic liquid. Barbados is actually credited with being the first island to start refining distillation techniques to produce rum in the 1650s.

Now, according to the ultimate rum resource Rum Wonk, created by Matt Pietrek, there are over 75 significant producers making rum in 24 different countries across the Caribbean. From Antigua and Grenada, to Panama, Trinidad and Venezuela.

Bacardí rum’s iconic bat logo Credt: Anders Nord, Unsplash

There are, of course, some behemoths when it comes to this category. Bacardi is perhaps the most widely known brand, founded by the Bacardi Massó brothers in 1862 in Santiago de Cuba. Fruit bats lived above the distillery’s copper and cast iron still – hence the bat that adorns its labels to this day (see above).

Then there’s Jamaica’s oldest sugar estate and distillery, Appleton Estate in the Nassau Valley, which has the doyenne of rum at its helm: Master Blender Joy Spence. Meanwhile Mount Gay in Barbados is thought to be the oldest rum distillery in the whole Caribbean.

Same but different

The spectrum of Caribbean rum styles is eye-opening. Various factors contribute to this: from varying soil types to the mixture of column and pot stills used; fermentation methods to the types of yeasts chosen. Not to mention raw materials: rum can be made from either molasses or sugarcane juice – or both.

While they may all come under the same headline, each country’s idiosyncrasies make the Caribbean rum category one of the most stylistically diverse in the spirits world. Indeed, to say Caribbean rums are all the same would be akin to saying all Scotch whiskies are the same – in fact, it may be even more reductive.

For example, Guyana-style rums are rich and fruity and full of the characteristics you’d expect from a spirit made from Demerara sugar molasses. In contrast, agricole rhums from Martinique are made from sugarcane juice, as opposed to molasses, and so often have a grassy, vegetal edge.

Harvesting sugarcane at Worthy Park Estate in Jamaica

Island character

In Jamaica a word commonly associated with the island’s rums is ‘funk’. This singular style is a product of the high esters (organic compounds that react with water to produce alcohols and organic or inorganic acids) found in a lot of the liquids coming out of distilleries. On a recent trip to the island’s lush and verdant Hampden Estate, I saw for myself how the process of ‘muck and dunder’ – the use of decomposing vegetation and spent lees – helps to create ester-bomb spirits that shout Jamaican rum.

On the equally lush and verdant but arrestingly French territory of Martinique, Habitation Clément epitomises the character of agricole rhum, which is made using sugarcane juice. The distillery is doing some interesting experiments with cask finishes, which are more common in whisky ageing than rum ageing). They’re using the likes of Pedro Ximénez, Sauternes and even Scotch whisky.

Head to St Lucia and you’ll find Deny Duplessis, Master Blender at St Lucia Distillers, exploring the limits of blending, using the distillates coming off the distillery’s assorted column, Vendome and John Dore pot stills. While in Barbados, the Foursquare Rum Distillery, led by its driven CEO and Master Distiller Richard Seale, is blazing a trail for its own Geographical Indication (GI). Watch this space…

This is, of course, just a snapshot. Why not take some time to delve further into each country’s rum-making history and the distilleries telling their stories today? Then the next time you hear the catchall term ‘Caribbean rum’, you’ll have a better idea of the full picture.

Caribbean rums: eight to get you started

Angostura 7 Year Old

You may know this brand better for its bitters, but the Angostura Distillery in Trinidad & Tobago’s Port of Spain also makes some fantastic rums. This particular expression marries light, medium and heavy rums, which have each been aged for a minimum of seven years, in ex-bourbon barrels. The result is golden syrup with cocoa and vanilla. A good dessert rum. Alc 40%

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks

Named as The Whisky Exchange’s Rum of the Year 2023, this Jamaican rum is made by Appleton’s inimitable Master Blender Joy Spence and named after the water source that feeds the distillery. A blend of column and pot still rums, aged in oak for 15 years, it’s a rich, fruity, nutty expression of what Jamaican rum can offer. Hazelnuts, dark chocolate, orange peel and roasted coffee beans can all be found in this distinctive rum. Alc 43%

Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum

An excellent homage to the spiced rum tradition of St Lucia, this expression of Chairman’s Reserve is a blend of Coffey and pot still rums aged in ex-bourbon casks and infused with local fruits and spices, such as orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg. We’re talking Jaffa Cakes with Chairman’s’ recognisable dark chocolate note coming through, as well as Christmas cake, while all those spices give a beautiful warming finish. Alc 40%

Doorly’s XO

Made at the highly revered Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, Doorly’s XO is a blend of column and pot still rums, aged for a minimum of six years and finished in oloroso Sherry casks. This rum is bursting with notes of toffee, tarte tatin and vanilla, with a warming, dark sugar note that makes it not too sweet but deliciously moreish. Great as a sipping rum. Alc 40%

El Dorado 12 Year Old

Made on the banks of Guyana’s Demerera River, using both wooden and metal Coffey stills, this hugely popular 12 Year Old is full of rich and fruity esters. Toffee, vanilla and spices combine with dried dark fruits, especially prunes, and even a whisper of smoke, making this a beautiful rum to enjoy just as it is. Alc 40%

Foursquare 10 Year Old Criterion

The fifth of the Barbados distillery’s Exceptional Cask range, this bottling has been aged in both ex-bourbon and Madeira casks. Roasted tropical notes and salted caramel move into apples and sultanas, with plenty of tannins. This is a rum you want to sit with. Alc 56%

Renegade Dunfermline Column Still Rum

This new(ish) brand from Grenada focuses on single origin and terroir in the rum category. This particular expression is made from a sugar cane variety called Lacalome Red. Made as the name suggests on column still, this rum has that lovely sugarcane sweetness with bright tropical notes that move into a mix of orange and vanilla. Alc 50%

Rhum JM White

This white rhum agricole (aka made from sugarcane) from the breathtakingly beautiful Rhum JM in Martinique has been column distilled before spending six months in stainless steel. It has all the trademarks of a bright and grassy agricole but with added lime and floral notes plus a hit of white pepper on the finish. Absolutely excellent in a Ti’Punch with sugar cane syrup and a lime slice. Alc 50%

The post A guide to Caribbean rum appeared first on Decanter.

Argentina is the main producing country of Malbec with more than 44,000 hectares planted across the country. Mendoza, Argentina’s most famous wine region, has become synonymous with Malbec and leads local production with 37,754 hectares cultivated (85% of the total vineyards).

Quality on the rise and reinforcing the exceptional value to be found in the country, Argentinean Malbec saw record-breaking results at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards with an impressive 12 Malbec and Malbec-dominant wines awarded 97 points — three of these Value wines under £15 retail.

Scroll down to discover Argentina’s top-scoring Malbec wines from DWWA 2022

Now the 13th edition, Malbec World Day celebrates the diversity of Argentinean Malbec. From North to South, Argentina’s varied wine regions and sub-regions showcase the unique characteristics of Malbec, with altitude, soil, climate, latitude, sunlight and winemaking styles all influencing the grape’s identity.

Tasted and rated by regional specialists at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards, see below for the top 12 award-winning Malbec wines from Argentina to celebrate Malbec World Day with…

Top Malbec wines of DWWA 2022

Best in Show

Bodegas Bianchi, IV Generación Gran Corte, Los Chacayes, Tunuyán, Mendoza, Argentina, 2019

Best in Show, 97 points
60% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
The anatomisation of Uco is one of the wine world’s great adventures at present: it’s been obvious for some years that the resource is a splendid one. If you harbour any doubts, try to get hold of a bottle of this midnight-black blend of Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Head-turning fruit perfumes are always possible here – but harnessing and optimising that aromatic potential is the point of this blend, which actually steals from the glass stealthily and convinces by slow increments. On the palate, the wine is wide, broad, amply dimensioned and naturally balanced, with admirable textural wealth. Once again, the blend has brought complexity to what is clearly outstanding fruit. It’s young still, and a few years in the cellar will provide further insights into this finely crafted Uco classic. Alc 14.5%

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