Arnica Rowan

“There is a secret wine region on Canada’s Atlantic coast, unknown to all but the most devoted sparkling-wine fans. If you’ve been to Montreal or Toronto, well, it’s east of there. To find it, all you need to do is stop in one of those well-known eastern Canadian cities and feel the wind. When your ears catch the haunting music of a fiddle playing a lonely tune, and your nose picks up salt and pine, just keep the Atlantic breeze in your face and follow it. Down the wide St Laurence River, through jovial New Brunswick, across a narrow bridge of land, around the wide coastal bay. You’ll know when you’ve arrived, when singsong voices pick up a Gaelic lilt, and you are invited in for a glass of bubbles.” READ THE ARTICLE

“In contrast to the wine world’s increasing global homogeneity, some regions march to their own tunes. Catering only to local tastes, these grape growing regions maintain their own unique approaches to growing vines and making wine. From jungles to deserts, each climate shapes the taste of the wines, and frames the dimensions of the regional wine palate. Culture weighs in even more heavily, creating local preferences for sweet or fresh, softness or acidity. Local customs create occasions to gift and share bottles, pairing samba parties, elephant watching, coffee ceremonies. From the sugary reds of Lake Ziway, Ethiopia, to the elegance of Hua Hin Hills, Thailand, the robust tannins of Xinjiang, China, the soft bubbles of Pinto Bandeira, Brazil, and the racing acidity of British Columbia, Canada… each region makes wine for its own people – not for export.” READ THE ARTICLE

“Every Sunday, Fidencio Flores and his grandfather Armando Zepeda drive a pickup truck over to the Longhorn coffee shop on Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez, a few hours north-west of Los Angeles, California. Armando orders a creamy cup of hot chocolate in a speckled ceramic mug, Fidencio nurses his cup of black coffee, and they talk… The cafe scene may be humble. The men may be strong and sinewed, dressed in worn jean coats and weathered baseball hats. But make no mistake – this is the central hub of a growing family wine legacy.”

“Last October I booked a flight from my home in the Okanagan Valley to London, and discovered that I had a free checked-bag allowance. (As a frequent flyer I usually pack only carry-on luggage.)

I emailed Jancis and asked her if she would like a couple of British Columbia wines to taste, since I know there are very few available on the export market, even in cellar-stuffed London. She replied that she would enjoy sampling four to six bottles, but in the whirlwind of prepping for my WSET Diploma exams, I promptly forgot all about my offer…“

“Although little-known outside Italy and wine’s academia, Lorenzo Corino had a deep impact on Italian wine culture and the country’s movement towards ‘slow wine’. As with other visionaries ahead of their time, Lorenzo’s greatest influence is yet to come, I suspect, as the world of wine discovers the academic’s inspired teachings posthumously…”