Winery Pioneers RestChardonnay

Shafer Vineyards has been sold to Shinsegae Property, a division of the wider Shinsegae Group, with interests in several business sectors, from retail to real estate. Shinsegae Property acquired the trailblazing Napa winery for 299.6 South Korean won ($250m), according to the Korea Herald newspaper. Further details about the deal were not disclosed, but the newspaper quoted a company official as saying the deal would benefit Shinsegae L&B, a wine and alcoholic drinks wholesale and importing ...

Whisky is emphatically a product of place. The flavours in the glass conjure images of the spirit’s origin, from an Islay malt’s distinctive peat smoke to the exotic perfume of a Japanese blend. Traditionally, however, that local accent is lost when spirit is filled into cask. The vast majority of Scotch malts and blends, for example, are matured in oak sourced from thousands of miles away, and previously used to age bourbon or Sherry. Some whiskies might venture into more exotic territory. Thin ...

Andrea Franchetti, one of the most talented and visionary Italian producers, has died at the age of 72 in Rome. In 30 years exactly, he positioned his superTuscan Trinoro among the top Italian references, producing a wine with stylish elegance and outstanding potential for ageing. Franchetti’s Bordeaux blends were without the over-extractions that were on-trend in the 2000s, nor the excess of fruit following phenolic maturity. He followed a precise idea to produce classic wines for the long haul ...