Wine Reviews

Can Rafols dels Caus is the name of the estate in Avinyonet del Penedès belonging to Carlos Esteva.  Set in a farmhouse dating from 1630, it is one of the most distinctive, bold and individualistic bodegas in Spain, like the personality of its owner, Carlos Esteva.  He was one of the first wine producers in Spain to use the trellis system in the...
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Gorka Izaguierre is a winery founded in 1994 in the Bizkaia D.O.  Today, it is the finest example of modern Txacolis from the area. It owns 31 hectares of vines planted on trellises on clay soils with some marl.  Here they grow the Basque grape varieties of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabia Zerratia, over 14 estates with slopes as steep as 30...
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Founded by Theodore Vander Veken in 1757, the Maison Henri Abelé is the third oldest in Champagne.  Its 250 year history, marked by prestige and innovation, is intertwined with the history of champagne itself. The history of Henri Abelé is full of interesting stories.. It was the first champagne house to use the process of disgorging by freezing,...
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Bodegas Bilbaínas is part of Spanish wine history and an institution from the 'la estación’ neighbourhood of Haro. Founded in 1859 by a French wine company, it passed into the hands of a group of friends "from Bilbao" in 1901, hence its name today. It is considered one of the area’s most classical wineries, producing well known brands such as...
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Franciacorta is in the heart of Lombardy, and stretches between Brescia and Lake Iseo. It lends it name to a wine, a production method (the traditional or classic) and the area where the highest quality sparkling wines in Italy are made. The Ca' del Bosco winery’s name comes from the house surrounded by woods in Franciacorta, where Annamaria...
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Founded in 1914, this family wine group has become the undisputed leader in the cava industry and the world’s biggest producer of sparkling wines made by the traditional method, with 18 wineries in the most prestigious wine regions in the world. Freixenet takes its name from Freixeneda, a 13th century property located in the Alt Penedes. It owns...
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Gramona is a fine example of how a family winery should be run. Jaume and Xavier Gramona, with their deep seated roots in the cava world, have clearly defined views. They have managed to grow the company and position it as a major reference among the "author's cavas" of today.  Their cavas undergo the longest average ageing in the industry and...
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There are two key dates in the history of Jacquesson. One is 1798, when Memmie Jacquesson founded the champagne house in Chalons. And the other is 1974, when the Chiquet family acquired the company, setting up in the village of Dizy, where many of their vineyards are located.  The company then took a new direction – reducing production and seeking...
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Domaine Weinbach is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Alsace.  It was founded by Capuchin monks in 1612. Early documents show that some of its vineyards were planted as far back as the year 890.  In 1898, the Faller family acquired 26 hectares located among different Kaysersberg Valley Crus.  Today they practice biodynamic and...
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