by Wine Explorer | Apr 1, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
It was late in the afternoon when the gaucho spotted the cow. He steadied his horse and raised his hand, signaling to his cumpas that they should fall back and be quiet. “Beautiful hide,” he thought. For a moment he fancied that he might keep it for himself. But then...
by Wine Explorer | Mar 25, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
Editor's Note: We still have a limited number of cases from our extreme altitude Calchaquí Valley collection available (see inventory here). However, supplies are going fast. Click here to reserve your bottles. Every summer, we leave the US for France, arriving just...
by Wine Explorer | Mar 18, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
400 years ago, a Spaniard had an affair out in the wild fields of south-eastern France. And so were born Bordeaux’s two great native varietals: merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Their father cabernet franc, however, was not Bordelais or even French, but from the Basque...
by Wine Explorer | Mar 11, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
No essay this week, as our Wine Explorer is focused on finalizing our next collection (stay tuned for more information in the coming months). Instead, we’ll hear from Julien on the mysteries of the “second fermentation”… including which wines actually undergo the...
by Wine Explorer | Mar 4, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
In 2020, a lot of people had a lot of time on their hands. Thus, it came as little surprise when a poll last year found booze to be the second most abstained-from pleasure during Lent (at number one was Twitter). More on that in a moment. But first... What is a “wild...
by Wine Explorer | Feb 25, 2022 | The Wine Explorers Letter
As a general rule, winemakers don’t like to gamble. When they blend varietals, they generally ferment each grape separately, then carefully mix the wines to achieve a desired profile. But some vintners adopt a more carefree approach: crush a medley of grape...
