Wine, part of our tangible cultural heritage, is our history, and in Italy, as in most parts of the world, conserving it is considered a matter of crucial importance. Change, therefore, is often regarded as deadly, like a venomous snake bite – a common sentiment felt especially in smaller rural regions. It’s what winemakers in pursuit … Read More
Travel
The Black Beauty of Grapes
The colour black is intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of the power it exudes. But nothing could be less inappropriate when describing a classy bottle of Vranac, one of over 400 grape varieties grown in the Balkan. Maybe you haven’t heard of it yet. But this curious grape is the most important red variety native … Read More
Head and Shoulders
For some people that unmistakable scent of black liquorice may be one to avoid, I know. To me it’s a happy childhood memory of sweets I used to eat, nowadays triggered by my liquorice-perfumed anti-dandruff shampoo when I lather myself beneath the shower from hair down to toes. But that smell of liquorice, the salty-sweet candy … Read More
Wurzer ist mich das?
What is this wine? It’s classy without that fat, mushy sweetness I dislike so much. In my glass I hold a lovely wine made at great expense and in such lilliputian quantities – as few as just 400 bottles – that hardly a drop will ever seep across the borders of the country where it comes … Read More
Interesting Thymes
In an island having little or no lush vegetation you would expect that the few patches of countryside that has remained untouched by urbanisation and which is home to literally hundreds of low-growing shrubs and rare indigenous plants would be treated with respect. Alas, no land is sacred in Malta and even linguistically, the Maltese … Read More
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