The Winery Three Oaks of North Coast of California

Oregon has got a 23rd AVA after ‘Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon’ was created this month following approval from the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Lying around 15 miles west of Salem, the new appellation zone sits within the broader Willamette Valley AVA. Its lengthy official name was created to prevent confusion with another Mount Pisgah, in Lane County. Morgen McLaughlin, executive director of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, said it was an exciting development: ‘Th ...

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 ...

Our feet crunched through layers of dry oak leaves as we climbed a pebbly path towards the vineyards behind the farmhouse. Roots go deep here. Not just the tall oaks and squat vines, but families too. I walked the vineyards at Mas de Libian with Hélène Thibon, but it was her father Jean-Pierre that greeted me when I arrived. Hélène’s sister Catherine was out front with Bambi the horse, ploughing the sandier plots. Later, we tasted in the winery with Hélène’s son Aurélien. Three generations of a ...