The flavor of beef broth in wine of Kutjevo

I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...

On 19 September 2021, the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge in the island of La Palma, Spain began a massive, three-month long eruption, that was a catastrophic event for this westward island in the Canarias. The volcanic fumes caused breathing problems as well as the cancellation of flights and fruit harvests, including grapes. Despite 7,000 people needing evacuation from the flow of the lava, there was only one fatality during the entire eruption. As the lava flow eventually covered over 1,000ha, mo ...

Spanish police were investigating after thieves broke into the cellars of Michelin-starred Coque via a next-door property and stole prized bottles of wine from the top Madrid restaurant. Around 132 bottles have been taken, according to an initial count. The full value of the wines stolen was still being assessed but it was estimated to be at least €150,000, said Cristina Pérez Olmos, communications director for Coque. Some bottles had been in the cellars for many, many years and could be hard to ...