IT’S EASY TO FORGET that at one time the celebrated vineyards of northern Europe were nothing more than wooded hillsides. The Romans, who generally took the long view of things, planted vines wherever they thought there was a chance they would thrive. The further north they moved, the more challenging viticulture became. In higher northern…
All posts in April 2012
The clay’s the thing
An email from Hamilton Russell Vineyards this week brought an item of interest. The star South African property has begun putting a small amount of its fine estate chardonnay into small, 160 liter clay amphorae. The amphorae, seen above, are lined with clay drawn from the property itself, which is located about 70 miles southeast…
Chardonnay with latitude
IT’S WHERE THE EVERYDAY meets the can-you-believe-it that most interesting things happen; where risks and rewards run high; where people who know better (or think they do) often fear to tread. It’s true of all sorts of things – including wine. We offer chardonnay as a case in point. In warmer climes and at lower…