Somm Blog
Winemaker
October 28 • Winemaker
Icewine: The Fifth Element
Just when you thought you had the wine thing down, it's blown up in your face. There's nothing simple about growing grapes and making wine – and why should there be? When you've got an opportunity given by Mother Nature herself to create an entirely new type of wine, why wouldn't you?
October 28 • Winemaker
Two Vineyards by the Lake
When it comes to wine, the more, the merrier. You could stick to the standard single vineyard and have half an aneurysm every year when the weather starts to turn on you. Or, you could back yourself up a bit and give your wines an even better chance of being brilliant.
October 14 • Winemaker
Idaho Wine? As If
There are a lot of things that Idaho is known for – Yellowstone, Boise, and Sun Valley Ski Resort. What you won’t usually see on this list is wine.
October 13 • Winemaker
The Novelty of Cheap Wine
While there are the lucky few of us who can afford to cough up excessive amounts of sophisticated drops, the rest of us mere mortals down here on earth don’t have this type of luxury.
September 22 • Winemaker
When Tuscany Meets North Cantebury
Sometimes it’s a struggle to know where to start when painting a picture of an award-winning vineyard. Maybe we could begin with the outstanding restaurant – if you’re picky about what you eat with your wine, you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss lunch.
September 15 • Winemaker
How to Inspire the Winemaking Process
There are two things to get clear when talking about the Brown Brothers.
The first is that there are many Browns, not just the brothers. The second is that there is a tradition here – but they don't want to be known as traditional.
August 25 • Winemaker
Wine: It’s in the Family
When you look for wine, you want a personalized touch.
You want to know the rich, deep history behind it – how they make the wine, why they make it and who makes it. Learning the intricate details that weave themselves into each bottle of wine making it that much more meaningful, adding new layers to the overall experience.
August 20 • Winemaker
Georgian wine, tasting history.
There’s really no other way to explain it. Blood, sweat, boundless patience and tears have gone into the cultivation and production of Georgian wine. This is because Georgian wine is steeped in tradition. 8000 years of tradition, to be exact. The history of Georgia runs parallel to the culture of Georgian winemaking. These two factors are inseparable and inherent in one another's identity.
August 12 • New Zealand
Ostler Vineyard – North Otago
Growing excellent wines off the beaten track in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful, unspoiled coastlines.
November 09 • Alentejo
António Maçanita, Making Wine the Way we Think is Right
The best way to really learn about wine is to think for yourself. Don’t be a parrot! Make your own judgments. Get into a tasting group. Those who know less usually gets it right.
April 06 • Oenologist
Difference between a Sommelier, Winemaker, and Oenologist?
No, this is not the setup to a joke. There is a lot of confusion as to the actual difference between a sommelier, and winemaker or oenologist. Though they all work closely with the world of wine, they play separate roles that are often intertwined – hence the confusion. Let’s lay it all out here.