The flavor of cedar in wine

Disconcerting: I couldn’t forget this bottle for days afterwards. Still can’t. Back in August, wine critic Lin Liu MW (together with her partner Philippe Lejeune of Château de Chambert in Cahors) came to dinner, en route to a short holiday in Provence. One of the bottles Lin brought for us to try together was the 2018 Les Rocheuses, Parcelles No 5 et 6, from Château Le Rey in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. It came in a slope-shouldered bottle, not a classic Bordeaux bottle. We tried it with some R ...

Canada’s western province of British Columbia (BC), has approved six new sub-appellations for its most famous wine-growing region of Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan Valley is BC’s largest appellation – called Geographical Indications (GIs) in Canada. And from a standing start in 2015, it now has 11 sub-GIs following the recent ratification. The six new sub-GIs are: Summerland Valleys, Summerland Lakefront, Summerland Bench, East Kelowna Slopes, South Kelowna Slopes and Lake Country. They are now l ...

It’s no secret that climate change is breaking records for heatwaves, frosts, fires, droughts, hail and wildfires. Their increasing frequency has left the wine world awash with initiatives, conferences, and research all concerning sustainable viticulture and its many facets: biodiversity, regenerative agriculture and the host of organic, biodynamic and sustainable labels or certifications they embody. More than simple posturing, many are concerned with the very real practicalities of saving wate ...