Vienna.
5 things about wine worth sharing this month.
Ciao everyone,
here are 5 things I thought were worth sharing this month:
UPCOMING EVENTS
26th February: 2022 Bolgheri Anteprima (only for trade and 67 Pall Mall members - email coming out next week)
15th and 16th March: WSET Level 2 at Corinthia Hotel (4 places left)
This controversial article about "wines that are beyond criticism" by Jamie Goode is the best thing I read last year. I’m not entirely sure where I stand on many of the points Jamie raises, but the more I think about it, the more I believe this is the most sincere take on the subject. It takes a lot of courage to write something like this.
While reflecting on this past year, I couldn’t help but notice how many wonderful nights I spent with friends and Ilaria at Alex Pitt's Lower Wine Bar. I would never open a wine bar, but if I did, the list would look remarkably similar to Alex’s. It’s also where my friend Mike Best MW and I finalised the ideas for our podcast, One Bottle, Three Questions! So many great memories there already.
The year started with the best news. At Verticale, we wrote a full special issue—essentially a book—on Gravner’s Ribolla. We spent an entire year thinking and writing about it because we wanted it to be the definitive resource on Josko Gravner and his life’s work. We’re planning, hopefully, an English version for Q3. Stay tuned.
The 2021 Barolo del Comune report will be released next Friday. In the meantime, I strongly recommend revisiting what we wrote about 2020. If you’d like to try the panel’s favorite wine, the 2020 Barolo del Comune di La Morra from Agostino Bosco, the last few bottles (about 35 remaining) are available at SWIG’s online retail shop. You can also enjoy it by the glass at 67 Pall Mall starting January 22nd, while supplies last.
I’ve shared my favorite wines of 2024, but as always, I’d love to hear about yours. Let me know in the comments which bottles left the most unforgettable memories for you!
This month on One Bottle, Three Questions, Mike Best MW and I interviewed Diego Rios from Bodegas Granbazar. We discussed about managing high rainfall and mildew challenges, the use of oak with Albariño, and the insights he gained from working at Heymann-Löwenstein.
P.S. Billy Joel’s The Stranger is one of the greatest pop albums of all time, and it became my melancholic Christmas soundtrack this year. I remember hearing Vienna in Netflix’s The Politician and being reminded of how brilliant this song is. Every now and then, I go back to it and just listen to it on repeat.
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