Vinos de Pago, often abbreviated to VP, is a relatively New category of wine classification in Spain. It was introduced in 2003, to cover individual wineries whose wines fell outside the existing DO system (geographically or stylistically) but were nevertheless of consistently high quality. As of 2017, there were more than a dozen VPs, all of which are notable exceptions in regions not generally associated with high quality wines. More than half are in Castilla-La Mancha, and the rest in Navarra and Utiel-Requena.
There is also a confusing association of promotional wineries, Grandes Pagos de Espana. The list of members is not identical, although wineries such as Dominio de Valdepusa of Marqués de Griñon in Toledo and Señorio de Arinzano in Navarre are included in both. The GPE also includes, for example, members such as Martinez Bujanda's Finca Valdpiedra in Rioja, a region that did not participate in the Vinos de Pagos program (Rioja's stance on single-owner appellations along the lines of Grand Cru led to the large producer Artadi's withdrawal from the designation). Vino de Pago estates must be small; the law governing the category states that the area covered by a VP title must not be "equal to or greater than any parish in its region.
".
Cofounded by Xavier Garambois, the former vice-president of EU retail at Amazon, Winechain.co is set to go live by the end of this year with its first ‘wiNeFT’ offering – its term for a fine wine linked to a non-fungible token (NFT). There has been a growing amount of innovation around NFTs in the wine world, from limited-edition winery offers to the ways in which blockchain technology could provide a digital guarantee of ownership history. Winechain said its goal is ‘to build dy ...
Fleur de Miraval will be poured at the Dolby Theatre during the Oscars (27 March), as well as during the Governors Ball – the Academy’s official afterparty – and at other Oscars-related events in Los Angeles, New York City, and London, including the Oscars Nominees Luncheon on 7 March. Serving Fleur de Miraval Rosé Champagne, best known for its association with Pitt, was a ‘natural choice’, the champagne brand said in a statement announcing the news. ‘Fleur de Miraval will now ...
At 8.23 metres tall (27ft), a three-sided pyramid made from 54,740 Champagne coupes has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the ‘largest drinking glass pyramid’. A specialist team spent five days between Christmas and New Year delicately constructing the wine glass tower at luxury Dubai resort Atlantis, The Palm, which announced the news. It said the attempt was co-organised by Moët & Chandon, as part of Champagne house’s ‘Effervescence’ event series. Guinness Wo ...