Winery AssennatoPassiluna Passito Nero d'Avola

I started to write my thoughts on the vintage as the dust settled from the annual primeur’s week (or month in my case) and when my teeth and lips had finally lost their purple hue – an unsightly image I documented once on Instagram. This year more than 7,000 eager wine tasters were welcomed onto the red carpets of various historic châteaux buildings, past manicured gardens and into beautifully decorated tasting rooms to taste the new batch of baby wines before tucking into lavish spreads, often ...

The French photographer captured his subject resting against the side of the vat after completing the arduous task. ‘This beautifully lit and framed image encapsulates the dedication, the sheer physical hard work involved in making wine – no glamour here,’ said Caroline Kenyon, the founder of the awards ceremony. ‘There’s so much character in the subject’s face – weary but triumphant, she knows it’s a tough job well done.’ Gaudillère had already won the ‘People’ sub-category of the Errazuriz Win ...

Not long after estate director Axel Heinz shocked the wine world by announcing his intention to return to his winemaking roots in Bordeaux, Ornellaia’s winemaker, Olga Fusari has announced that she is also to leave in October, shutting the door on an incredibly successful era for the Bolgheri estate. ‘To be part of the winemaking team of Ornellaia for so many years has been a privilege and career-defining. I would like to thank [CEO] Giovanni Geddes and the Frescobaldi family for their tru ...