Calabria is a wine region in southern Italy, in fact a large peninsula that juts out between the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is separated from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its northern border with Basilicata is marked by the peaks of the southern Apennines. Calabria and its wines have undergone many influences over the centuries.
It was the ancient Greeks who first cultivated wine vines here. For many centuries, Calabrian wines were famous not only in Italy, but also in other European countries. However, their glory began to Fade with competition from French regions such as Bordeaux. These were closer, both geographically and culturally, to key markets such as London and Amsterdam.
Several private investors have taken shareholdings in Maison Joanne, one of the biggest Bordeaux négociant firms and leading distributor of grands crus to wine merchants around the world. Company president Pierre Antoine Castéja announced the changes in a letter to business partners and friends on the eve of the Bordeaux 2021 en primeur tasting week. It marks a new chapter for the family business, which celebrates its 160th anniversary this year and has around 5 million bottles of fine wine stor ...
More than 100 wines from 32 regions across 11 countries – including France – are set for release via the La Place in the coming weeks, Liv-ex said in a new report released today (24 August). September, in particular, has become a busy month for négociants, who have sought to expand their portfolios beyond Bordeaux. For wineries, the extensive La Place distribution network offers opportunities to reach new drinkers and enhance their international reputation – albeit opinions in the UK trade diffe ...
Our feet crunched through layers of dry oak leaves as we climbed a pebbly path towards the vineyards behind the farmhouse. Roots go deep here. Not just the tall oaks and squat vines, but families too. I walked the vineyards at Mas de Libian with Hélène Thibon, but it was her father Jean-Pierre that greeted me when I arrived. Hélène’s sister Catherine was out front with Bambi the horse, ploughing the sandier plots. Later, we tasted in the winery with Hélène’s son Aurélien. Three generations of a ...
