Sandwiched between the Pyrenees mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, the Languedoc-Roussillon region—adored by vacationers for its sunshine and salty breezes—is slowly shedding its reputation for producing abundant amounts of value wine. One producer at the forefront of this shift is the youthful “Tall Guy” Gérard Bertrand, a former professional rugby player who began working his first harvest at his father Georges’ vineyards as a child, …
Sharing a glass of Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2006, master distiller Jim McEwan marvels over the oil content in the class. After decades at Bowmore and garnering countless awards, McEwan was tasked to reopen Bruichladdich in 2000 and restore some hope and much needed jobs in Islay, Scotland. At a recent tasting in Los Angeles, in anticipation of the release of their heavily peated Octomore 6.3 …
On 250 acres in Australia’s Margaret River region (the nation’s equivalent to America’s Napa Valley) and abutting a national park, American vintner Will Berliner carefully crafts his stellar array of Cloudburst wine. Only 400 cases leave the vineyard each year, making his annual offering of chardonnay and cabernet a rare treat. The utmost care for the soil and a deep relationship with the vines (closely …
