<p>Sparkling beaches, a uniquely Italian culinary scene, historical hilltop villages–there are many reasons to <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/destination/europe/italy/sicily" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">visit Sicily</a>, the spicy island off the toe of Italy’s boot. At the heart of all of them: Mount Etna.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s not just a volcano, it’s an integral part of their daily life,” says <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/who-we-are/meet-the-designers/dana-quinn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Dana Quinn</a>, one of B&amp;R’s Experience Designers for Sicily. “I remember somebody telling me, ‘I don't need to see it, I've been to a volcano.’ Well, it's not just a volcano.”&nbsp;</p><p>Located on the east coast of the island, between Catania and Messina, parts of Mount Etna are off limits because it is still an active volcano. But there are still so many ways to access it and experience first-hand how important it is to Sicilian life. “Anyone living near Catania can feel it rumbling at night,” Dana says. “It’s talking to them.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>For hikers and walkers, <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/scheduled/sicily-walking" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">the island’s east coast</a>, is a dream to explore. Between river valleys, the coastal Vendicari Nature Reserve–home to incredible birdwatching and stunning beaches–and the lunar-like landscape of Etna, terrain is diverse and as rewarding as it is challenging.&nbsp;</p><p>The volcano also contributes to the island’s fertile soil, which you savour in every dish and glass of wine you enjoy when on the island. Menus are filled with the bounty from luscious vineyards, almond groves, truffle forests and catches straight from the sea.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The food scene is massively about the land,” says Dana. "The grains, the sheep, the wine, tomatoes, artichokes, fava beans.” The hard part is not stopping at every farm stand.</p>

<p>There are many Bespoke options too<span style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"> f</span><a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/bespoke/sicily-bespoke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">or cyclists and those after a cultural deep dive</a>. Those on bikes will relish the challenges and rewards on morning rides of the hilly terrain. “It's this dark beauty of these hills,” says Dana. Travellers looking to customize their time on the island have a rich diversity of options and activities to choose from. Afternoons can be spent snorkelling and swimming in waters of the Mediterranean. And history enthusiasts will absolutely love exploring such sites as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Palazzolo Acreide, a gem that features both Baroque architecture and Greek archeological treasures, and the late-Baroque town of Scicli, lesser known than neighbouring towns of Noto and Ragusa, but just as full of beautiful and rich in historic sites.&nbsp;</p><p>“Whether you want to hike and bike, or pair kayaking with cultural exploration, there’s so much in Sicily to see,” Dana says. For those looking to revel in Italian culture and cuisine, but avoid the crowds often found on the mainland, Sicily is the region to explore.&nbsp;</p>

Sicily's not-so-hidden secret

<p>The jewel of the Mediterranean, Sardinia remains one of Italy's best-kept secrets, often overshadowed by its mainland counterparts.</p><p>While it’s known for its rugged coastline and welcoming hospitality, one of the most intriguing facts is that the islands, particularly the areas of Ogliastra, Barbagia di Ollolai and Barbagia of Seulo, are designated a ‘Blue Zone'—a region of the world where people live much longer than average.</p><p>Netflix’s <a href="https://www.bluezones.com/documentary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone</em></strong></a> follows author and explorer Dan Buettner as he uncovers why <a href="https://butterfield.com/destination/europe/italy/sardinia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sardinia</strong></a> is home to one of the world's highest concentrations of centenarians (people who live to 100 years old). In fact, Sardinia boasts more than 20 times the number of centenarians compared to similar populations in the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, what's the secret behind Sardinia's culture of longevity?</p>

<p>While some attribute Sardinia's longevity to the island's high-altitude villages, others point to the deep sense of community deeply woven into their way of life.</p><p>No matter where you are on the island, take a look around: you are sure to see older people still living purpose-filled and healthy lives integrated with the rest of society, and even still working the land. Growing up in Sardinia, it isn’t uncommon for children to grow up getting to know their great-grandparents.</p>

Tight-Knit Communities

<p>With a culture linked strongly to its agrarian practices, there is very little processed food. Sardinians have a culinary tradition entwined with the seasons, producing most of their food at home. One of the best places to get a glimpse into Sardinia’s longevity secrets is in Nonna's kitchen, where the same time-honoured recipes have been passed down through generations.</p><p>The traditional Sardinian kitchen is stocked with homemade pasta, whole-grain bread, garden vegetables, seasonal fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and homemade sweets, to name a few. The high concentration of bread and pasta raises the question of whether carbs are truly the enemy. Buettner's evidence suggests&nbsp;the contrary—as long as the ingredients are of a high quality and traditionally prepared.&nbsp;</p>

Sardinian Cuisine: A Recipe for Longevity

<p>Physical activity is another cornerstone of the Sardinian way of life. The island's rugged terrain requires regular physical work, keeping the locals active throughout their lives.</p><p>The northern province of Sassari in particular is a haven for physical activity, whether it's exploring one of the Maddalena islands on a nature walk or plunging into the crystal-clear waters before a coastal bike ride. This territory remained uninhabited until&nbsp;the 17th c.&nbsp;so, pedalling between charming rural villages feels like stepping back into the Bronze Age, still maintaining authenticity and character. As you cycle along, grazing sheep meander past the enigmatic Nuraghi, Sardinia's ancient megalithic structures found nowhere else on the planet.</p>

Healthy Active Lifestyle 

<p>From the glittering coast of Greece to Croatia's natural wonders, the Mediterranean is graced with a myriad of alluring islands. But our hearts always find their way to Sardinia, a destination that's a little closer to home, where the fusion of the Sardo language, supernatural landscapes, and longevity-forward local life create a truly unique experience.</p><p>Discover the region's Blue Zone secrets from the comforts of your private luxury ship on our Sardinia &amp; Corsica Biking trip.</p>

The Secrets of Sardinia’s Blue Zone

<p>It’s the busiest time of year at Butterfield &amp; Robinson, with last-minute summer plans made, holiday travel starting to come together and <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/get-inspired/travel-journal/start-planning-now-for-these-major-2026-events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">adventures timed to 2026 major events</a> influencing travel trends.&nbsp;</p><p>Our <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/who-we-are/meet-the-designers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Experience Designers</a>, the experts who seek out the newest and very best for travellers and plan every trip that B&amp;R offers, share the definitive trends they’ve identified for the year ahead.&nbsp;</p>

Intro

<p><strong>Microexperiences make the trip&nbsp;</strong></p><p>To truly understand a destination, travellers are craving connection with locals in meaningful—and memorable—ways, particularly if it indulges a passion. These experiences can be personalized to each traveller and offer first-hand access to communities and their traditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Eugenie Weiss, B&amp;R’s Experience Designer for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/destination/europe/france/burgundy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Burgundy, France</a>, offers an example: “I heard travellers commenting on harvesters in the vineyards they were biking by, and how much they would love to experience that another time. Minutes before I took them to the winery for a private tasting, the winery team let me take our travellers into the vineyards with the harvest team for 30 minutes. In a flash, our four travellers were given a basket, a pair of scissors, protective gloves, and off they went into the vineyards of Côte de Nuits to harvest grapes! The smiles on their faces and the sound of their laughter were unforgettable.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The discerning traveller is aging down&nbsp;</strong></p><p>Young Gen X and Millennials—the under 50 crowd—are seeking experiential, “wow-factor” trips. The wow isn’t just about luxury, but connectivity, slowing down their pace of travel and prioritizing authenticity.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Rob Grieve, B&amp;R’s Experience Designer for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/places-to-go/oceania" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oceania,</a> sees this especially for far-flung destinations like Australia and New Zealand. “It’s the honeymooners, the young retirees who want to get away and those organizing multi-generational family trips who want to make the most of still having the ‘grandies’ around. They love learning, experiencing and local and unique connections.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Off-season adventures for authenticity&nbsp;</strong></p><p>B&amp;R travellers are well aware of overtourism and the importance of sustainable travel and they’re changing their travel patterns to respect the destinations they visit. They want to avoid crowds and access the places they visit at their most authentic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Mario Koch, B&amp;R’s Experience Designer for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/who-we-are/meet-the-designers/mario-koch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Central Europe and Scandinavia</a>, explains: “Travellers are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainability, seeking trips that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—not just reducing CO2 emissions but also fostering local economies, respecting biodiversity and preserving cultural heritage. This is paired with a growing appetite for travel during quieter periods.”&nbsp;</p>

Three

<p><strong>It’s time to break out of comfort zone&nbsp;</strong></p><p>Our travellers are itching to try new things and stretch themselves physically and mentally, whether that’s by exploring a new destination, staying at an off-the-radar hotel or using their vacation time to learn a new (sometimes very niche) skill.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Marya Valli, B&amp;R’s Experience Designer for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/destination/europe/switzerland" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Switzerland</a>, has leveraged the country’s traditions and landscape to deliver on this trend. “They might try something loud and crazy like yodelling to the cows—with a professional yodeller to teach them—or e-bike up a challenging mountain pass, e-mountain bike when they have never cycled off asphalt in their lives or go swimming in a glacier-fed stream.”&nbsp;</p>

Four

<p><strong>A renewed focus on arts and culture</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>Travellers are in search of cerebral experiences that enrich knowledge they may already have or teach them something entirely new. It’s a niche wellness trend that’s being explored foremost through the arts.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Andres Reyes Ottonello is B&amp;R’s Experience Designer for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/who-we-are/meet-the-designers/andres-reyes-ottonello" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Catalonia, Andalucia and Portugal’s Algarve</a> region. He shares an example of how memorable these experiences are: “I was working with travellers seeking authentic local experiences that reflected their interest in art. We took them to a restorer’s home in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Seville, where they met the experts who explained their work, and then shared an aperitif together. It was more than just an activity; it was a genuine conversation and a life experience that spoke specifically to their curiosity and passion.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Five

<p>If you’re looking for inspiration for your next adventure, B&amp;R’s Experience Designers unlock incredible experiences on every trip we design.<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><a href="https://www.butterfield.com/ways-to-go" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Explore our trips here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></p>

Closing

Looking ahead: B&R’s travel trends for 2025/2026

<p>Pilot Amelia Earhart, around-the-world navigator Nellie Bly, B&amp;R’s own co-founder Martha Robinson. Adventurous women travellers are not new, but they are certainly growing in numbers, so much so that these curious and passionate women are changing the travel industry.</p><p>Part of the change is a growing demand for group trips, because it’s an opportunity for women to explore the world and feel safe and secure while doing it. Small group trips are being filled by friends who are looking for a getaway, mother-daughter pairings wanting quality time together and solo travellers looking to meet like-minded women. Indeed, luxury travel agency network Virtuoso noted in their fall trend report that women make up 71% of all solo travellers hitting the road.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“There’s comfort for women joining these trips, especially in some destinations that may be a little outside of their comfort zone,” says Laura Benn, Sales Manager at B&amp;R. “They know that when they’re travelling with us that we're going to look after them.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Perhaps it’s a new destination, or a place where they don’t know a single word of the language, or a trip that has new-to-them activities. Knowing that there’s a guide and other travellers in the same situation is not only comforting, but builds camaraderie.&nbsp;</p><p>Just as important is the opportunity to come together and connect with like-minded peers who prioritize adventure—and that doesn’t always mean scaling mountains. “Women seizing the opportunity to join these trips are tired of travelling on their own. They want to meet other women who have similar interests and passions. And they want to pair their active adventures with wellness, arts and culture,” says Laura.&nbsp;</p><p>Another benefit of joining women’s only trips is that they can offer access to experiences and people that may not be an option for mixed groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>This is the inspiration and motivation behind B&amp;R’s new Women’s Only Collection, four trips that were designed by women at B&amp;R for women and that feature some exclusive opportunities to meet with incredible women in the destinations the trips explore.&nbsp;</p><p>These new Scheduled Group trips will help women explore Tuscany and Umbria, Spain’s Camino de Santiago, Cambodia and Vietnam, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia’s largest island.</p>

<p>Designed exclusively by Experience Designers who are women and guided by women, these one-of-a-kind journeys offer a new way to see these incredible destinations. In Tuscany, for instance, travellers will visit women-owned wineries and share a drink with the owner. In Cambodia, transportation will be handled by a fleet of female tuktuk drivers. Something Laura says is very rare: “Typically, that is a male-dominated industry.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The opportunities for women travellers to explore the world on their terms is only growing, something Laura is personally excited about. She has her own travel tradition with her mother—“We love travelling together. We do at least one trip a year together”—and is now encouraging her mom to join a trip on her own.&nbsp;“The group environment is such a welcoming option for travellers like her.”&nbsp;</p>

Why women are increasingly choosing active and adventure travel

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France

Provence

Walking

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m no Wim Hoff, but I love a quick dip in and out of the icy stream on a warm day. It’s a vivid reminder that I am alive! Sometimes it’s good to check&#8230;</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-48680" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_2051-450x600.jpg" alt="" width="390" height="520" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_2051-450x600.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_2051-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_2051-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The water is crystal clear and the trout can be spotted swimming upstream. The river’s source is only a few kilometres away at Fontaine de Vaucluse; a magical place with a mystical cave underneath a massive wall of rock from which this 12-degree water gushes with crystal clear vitality. I like to hike around the fountain. There’s a special kind of energy there.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnificent trees, ducks and the energy of the gushing water is quite a force to watch. And easy trigger to get back to the present moment. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today I’ve been super lucky with the treasures: I’ve spotted a very old piece of porcelain wedged in the wall of the riverbed. Magic! It’s definitely a good omen&#8230;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the evening, Benedicte has invited me for dinner, along with my friend and neighbour, Anthony. Benedicte used to run the local vegan restaurant, <em>Vert Bouteille</em> (Bottle Green), so this is an invitation I don’t ever wish to turn down. She’s a magician when it comes to food.</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-48681 size-large" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provenceendofday-960x540.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="540" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provenceendofday-960x540.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provenceendofday-480x270.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provenceendofday-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provenceendofday.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The swifts are swooping over the village as I walk home. They serve as gentle reminders that the summer is on its way. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s been a beautiful day.</span></p>
<hr />
<p>To see more of Tatjana&#8217;s artwork inspired by life in France and her adventures around the globe, you can <a href="https://tatjanabuisson.tumblr.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit her website</a> or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tatjanabuisson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follow her on Instagram</a>.</p>


<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We meander through the famous Sunday village market where people are just finishing setting up. Visitors and locals alike are surfacing with their empty bags and baskets. We find my car parked under the tree where I always find a parking spot, and off we go with coffee-flask in hand.</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-48670 size-large" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provencemarket-1-960x540.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="540" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provencemarket-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provencemarket-1-480x270.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provencemarket-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provencemarket-1.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first rule of the <em>vide greniers</em> is the early bird catches the worm. That’s what makes treasure-hunting so appealing: that edgy feeling that the very object you don’t yet know you <em>need</em> to have in your life might slip through your fingers.</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-48667" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4F260062-7ABD-4762-996B-C261AD95883F-450x600.jpeg" alt="" width="390" height="520" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4F260062-7ABD-4762-996B-C261AD95883F-450x600.jpeg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4F260062-7ABD-4762-996B-C261AD95883F-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4F260062-7ABD-4762-996B-C261AD95883F-768x1024.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> So, we hop in the car. The crinkling of a brown paper packet in Fred’s hand indicates two possibilities: 1) Pain au Chocolat or 2) croissants. I&#8217;ll be happy with either!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of my favourite things about living in this region is the recycle/re-use culture of these local village attics-sale markets. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Locals sell anything from kitchen appliances to children’s clothing, furniture to artwork and knife collections. Some bring their current harvest of seasonal fruit or homemade jams from this week’s fruit. There are also people who sell their grandfathers’ lighter collection, collectible LPs or leather sofas.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I try (hard) to stick to a couple of self-imposed guidelines for the treasure-hunting: It must be something that I need or something I absolutely love, but nothing in-between. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s easy to get caught up in the dance of bargaining which then has one arriving at home with a bunch of beautiful things for next to nothing, but the bookshelf is already full&#8230;</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-48666" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Videgrenier.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Videgrenier.jpg 1440w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Videgrenier-400x300.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Videgrenier-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Videgrenier-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>


<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once we’ve inspected all the old things and found (or not found) our treasures, we head home as I’ve made plans to meet with my friend Mika for a bike ride. </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-48653" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0064-1-450x600.jpg" alt="" width="390" height="520" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0064-1-450x600.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0064-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0064-1-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The gorges around here are magnificent and the Gorges de la Nesque is an ideal Sunday mission. The late mornings are still shady and the climb—although it’s consistent—is moderate.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We meet at the start of the ride, get our bikes out of the car and start pedalling. You can imagine my surprise as we stumble upon the not-so-wild-boar, that Mika says, he’s seen before on this route. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We stop to soak up the epic view and make our way down to Sault, the village known for its lavender (the <em>true</em> lavender that only grows at elevation) in late July. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">For now, the lavender fields are a dusty grey colour as they work their way towards July with the help of our Provençale sunshine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As much as I’d love to ride all day long, we decide to loop our way back to the car so that I can spend a little time with the canvas this afternoon. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The springtime makes for some incredibly inspiring scenes, and they’re not going to manifest on paper or canvas unless I’m there to hold the brush. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bike ride was epic and always makes my heart explode with joy. The roads and scenes around the south of France never cease to inspire awe. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I get home and before picking up a paintbrush, I head to a little secret spot upstream for a “swim&#8221; in the river. </span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-48658 size-large" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provence5-960x540.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="540" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provence5-960x540.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provence5-480x270.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provence5-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Provence5.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>


Photo Diary: A Sunday in Provence with B&R Guide Tatjana Buisson

Our Friends

Slow Travel

Europe

Holland

<p>Tulip cultivation begins with the so-called “dry treatment” before the bulbs are planted in boxes. Approximately 100 bulbs are planted per box, depending on the size of the bulbs. The boxes are filled with compost covered with a layer of sand to keep their stems upright. After planting, the boxes are stored in cooling departments at different temperatures for a period of about 15 weeks, depending on the specific variety.</p>
<p>Then, the bulbs are transferred to greenhouses, where they spend three to five weeks (depends on the variety) growing in a controlled environment. (The bulbs and flowers you see out in the fields are actually grown to produce bulbs for future harvests.) The modern greenhouse is divided into four sections, making it possible to ensure separate climatic conditions for each growth stage.</p>


<p>Every year, Henrie and Anton select which type they will grow next season, depending on the previous years&#8217; demand and success. This year&#8217;s varieties for 2021 will include Denmark, Purple Lady, Time Out, Astronaut (named after the Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers) and Verona.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-48427 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/tulips-and-chocolate-450x300.jpeg" alt="tulips and chocolate" width="450" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/tulips-and-chocolate-450x300.jpeg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/tulips-and-chocolate-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/tulips-and-chocolate-899x600.jpeg 899w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/tulips-and-chocolate.jpeg 920w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />This year for Valentine&#8217;s Day, Anton and Henrie donated many bouquets of tulips to the elderly living all alone in senior living residences. The little community of De Zilk uses their flowers to lighten up their inhabitants just like so many flower lovers do so around the world!</p>
<p>Over twenty years after that initial quest for a Dutch bike depot, the Van Saase family have remained our dear friends and host B&amp;R travellers on a tour of their farm.</p>
<p>Here, travellers witness how the bulbs become beautiful flowers in just a few weeks while relishing in everything from their cool cells and refrigerators to their hothouse and delighting in the hospitality of Anton and Henrie. The experience offers travellers a chance to get up-close with the bulbs and experience the tulip bloom in a different light—without the crowds, you may encounter at Keukenhof.</p>
<p>Want to learn more about our biking trips to the Netherlands? <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/start-planning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to get in touch with Mario</a>, our Experience Designer for all things Dutch!</p>


Meet Henrie and Anton, Sustainable Tulip Farmers of the Netherlands

Eat &amp; Drink

Experts + Insiders

The Slow Road

Vines &amp; Wines

Wine

Winery

Around The World

<h2><a href="https://ducalwines.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ducal</a> &#8211; Slovenia</h2>
<p>Just across the border from Austria, in Slovenia, Ducal is producing exceptional natural wine according to the thousand-year-old Georgian method using qvevries. In clay amphoras dug deep into the soil, the grape ferments in to wine along with the skins and everything else the berries hold. After eight months the wine is transported to large wooden casks where they age for the next two to three years before bottling.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-46545" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ducal_720x460-470x300.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ducal_720x460-470x300.jpg 470w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ducal_720x460.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px" /></p>
<p>The owner, Mitja Lo Duca, is a true character, obsessively working the vineyards with his son Tim. Imbued with a mountaineer&#8217;s perseverance (he once advanced as a promising alpinist in the former state of Yugoslavia), Mitja now funnels that energy into his award-winning business. As with Gut Oggau’s wines, Ducal&#8217;s wines are also served at NOMA in Copenhagen.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-46521" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/LePod_400x300-1-400x300.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="300" /></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.podereleripi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Podere Le Ripi</a> &#8211; Italy</h2>
<p>Owned by Franceso Illy (yes, of the coffee fame) this innovative winery is truly special and a personal project of Franceso’s that’s become a stunning experiment in biodynamic viticulture.</p>
<p>Planted at an unheard-of density, the vineyards have incredibly deep roots and produce a dramatic amount of fruit.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the cellar is its own feat of structural beauty: referred to as the ‘wine cathedral,’ it was constructed using ancient techniques and, unconventionally, made great strides to follow strict spatial ratios; its circular form essentially descends into the earth. For Franceso, the integrity of the wine is paramount and informed the decision to forsake traditional construction methods in favour of bio-architecture advances.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-46519 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Podere-Le-Ripi_720x300-480x200.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="200" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Podere-Le-Ripi_720x300-480x200.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Podere-Le-Ripi_720x300.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></p>
<p>Nearby, a wonderful vegetable garden is often host to garden tours with families or simple outdoor dinners with a Tuscan nonnna or Michelin-starred chef.</p>


<h2><a href="http://bellawines.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bella Wines</a> &#8211; British Columbia</h2>
<p>Bella is a spirited winery in the Okanagan that&#8217;s producing some of the most exciting sparkling wines and capturing the natural essence of British Columbia&#8217;s fruit, all set within a postage stamp of acreage.</p>
<p>Wine couple, Jay Drysdale &amp; Wendy Rose, are transparent in their pursuit to &#8220;make expressive wine that truly reflects the land where it is grown and the conditions under which it is made, free from chemicals and excessive intervention.&#8221;</p>
<p>Along that vein, you&#8217;ll find animals from their farmhouse foraging between the vines, and a wholehearted approach to get back to basics using ancestrale methods. Their three styles of sparkling wine are an absolute treat and make Bella the only winery in BC producing sparkling exclusively.</p>


What We're Drinking: <br> Natural Wines of the World

Australia

Portfolio

Asia-Pacific

<h2><strong>The New Guard</strong></h2>
<h4><strong><a href="http://www.dormilona.com.au/store/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40706 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Dormilona-350.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="351" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Dormilona-350.jpg 350w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Dormilona-350-299x300.jpg 299w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Dormilona-350-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />Dormilona Blanco Vin 2018</a></strong></h4>
<p>Pure Semillon from the Margaret River, about as natural a wine as it gets. Small-batch, hand-made, biodynamic, etc. Dormilona means “lazy bones” in Spanish, a nod to a laid back approach to making wine.</p>
<h4><strong><a href="http://www.theotherrightwines.com/2017-spring-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Other Right “Love Potion” Shiraz 2017</a></strong></h4>
<p>The “new style” Aussie Shiraz from the Adelaide Hills is going to be hard to find, as everything this husband and wife duo makes sells out with speed. They also use “lazy” to describe their philosophy. This wine clocks in at just 13% alcohol, which is quite light for Aussie Shiraz.</p>
<h4><strong><a href="https://www.shobbrookwines.com.au/wines/tommy-ruff" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40708 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tom-Shobbrook-resized.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="448" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tom-Shobbrook-resized.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tom-Shobbrook-resized-301x300.jpg 301w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tom-Shobbrook-resized-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />Shobbrook Tommy Ruff 2016</a></strong></h4>
<p>Natural wines made by Tom Shobbrook in the Barossa Valley from biodynamically grown grapes. Tommy Ruff is a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre designed for easy sipping.</p>
<h4><strong><a href="https://gentlefolk.com.au/product/forest-range-pinot-noir-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gentle Folk Forest Range Pinot Noir 2017</a></strong></h4>
<p>Chosen from the best barrels of each vintage, the Forest Range Pinot is the flagship wine of this non-interventionist winery. The winery is located in the Basket Range of the Adelaide Hills. Only 1392 bottles made in 2017.</p>
<h4><strong><a href="https://macforbes.com/product/2016-woori-yallock-rose/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac Forbes Woori Yallock Rosé 2016</a></strong></h4>
<p>A focus on terroir and, more specifically, coaxing amazing wines out of unsung plots of land in the Yarra Valley — that’s what drives Mar Forbes who’s worked in wineries around the world. Made from Pinot Noir planted in 1995 in the cooler zone of the Upper Yarra.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40712 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mac-Forbes-Winery-732.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="489" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mac-Forbes-Winery-732.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mac-Forbes-Winery-732-449x300.jpg 449w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>


10 Must-Try <Br> Australian Wines

Latin America

Argentina

Chile

<h2><strong>Argentinian Wines</strong></h2>
<p><a href="http://www.catenazapata.com/catena-alta-malbec.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39372 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/table-setting-250px-1.jpg" alt="Must Drink Wines From Chile and Argentina" width="250" height="343" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/table-setting-250px-1.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/table-setting-250px-1-219x300.jpg 219w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />Catena Alta Malbec 2014<br />
</strong></a><a href="http://www.catenazapata.com/catena-alta-malbec.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Nicolas Catena</a> might be Argentina’s version of California’s Robert Mondavi as a pioneer of the premium wine lifestyle. This wine is full-bodied and elegant, with very light presence of oak.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/trapiche+terroir+series+finca+ambrosia+malbec+gualtallary+tupungato+uco+valley+mendoza+argentina/2013" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Trapiche Terroir Series Single Vineyard Malbec “Finca Ambrosía” 2013<br />
</strong></a>A softer style but nevertheless <a href="http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/argentina/mendoza/trapiche-uco-valley-gualtallary-finca-ambrosia-terroir-12636">this is still a powerhouse</a>, with a full 18 months in new French oak. Higher alcohol, but fresh and silky.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zuccardiwines.com/zuccardi/common/public/pdf/58811ec963a2b.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Zuccardi Aluvional Gualtallary Malbec 2014<br />
</strong></a>Rated 95 points by Robert Parker, the grapes come from several vineyards in the Gualtallary part of Tupungato in Valle de Uco, where the soils vary greatly. The wine is impressively structured, with a mineral quality that is the hallmark of the region.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bodega-Teho-205764002934578/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Teho Malbec Tomal Vineyard 2014<br />
</strong></a>Fresh and lively but still sporting formidable tannins, <a href="https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/teho-2014-tomal-vineyard-malbec-mendoza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this wine</a> hails from Mendoza and will easily hold for 10 or more years. The word “teho” means “blood of the earth.”</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39398 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dane-chile-vines-732px-1.jpg" alt="Must Drink Wines From Chile and Argentina" width="732" height="488" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dane-chile-vines-732px-1.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dane-chile-vines-732px-1-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>


8 Must-Drink Wines <br> From Chile and Argentina 

Tuscany Travel Expert<br> (and Tuscany Wine Enthusiast)

<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39413 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/guides-wine-350px.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="350" height="233" />Recent history—say, the past 50 years or so—has seen the rise of the so-called Super Tuscans.</p>
<p>No doubt the names Sassicaia and Tignanello are familiar, as they are the trailblazers of a quality revolution that began in the 1960s among a few bold visionaries.</p>
<p>Bucking the strict rules imposed by Italian wine authorities, these winemakers sought to create more modern wines that would appeal to a global palate.</p>
<p>The popularity of these wines has helped lead a quality revolution in Tuscany. These wines are generally categorized as IGT—Indicazione Geografica Tipica—a relatively new classification introduced in 1992.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39407 size-thumbnail" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/lady-white-whine-350px-250x156.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="250" height="156" />One of Italy’s most profound wines, Brunello di Montalcino, has a legacy dating back centuries.</p>
<p>The style of wine—big, age-worthy wines made with 100% Sangiovese from a special clone—is credited to Biondi-Santi, and these wines are among the most famous in the region. Rosso di Montalcino is the junior version of this wine, also 100% Sangiovese.</p>
<p>Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, is produced in several communes to the east of Montalcino, with 70% Sangiovese. These wines are delightful for easy drinking, softer and less rigid than the wines of Chianti and Brunello.</p>
<p>White wine plays a minor role in Tuscany, with grapes such as the native Vermentino, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Moscadello (Moscato Bianco) is used to make a sweet wine in still and sparkling styles.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">8 Of Our Favourite Tuscan Wines</h2>
<h3><a href="http://www.tenutasanguido.com/eng/sassicaia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sassicaia 2015</a></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-45161 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Diego_Sassicaia-2015.-Classe-ed-eleganza-anche-solo-dalla-bottiglia-240x300.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Diego_Sassicaia-2015.-Classe-ed-eleganza-anche-solo-dalla-bottiglia-240x300.jpg 240w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Diego_Sassicaia-2015.-Classe-ed-eleganza-anche-solo-dalla-bottiglia.jpg 378w" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />The first Super Tuscan wine, made predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon, paved the way for an explosion of modern-style blended wines after exploding onto the scene in 1968.</p>
<p>The wines are now classified as DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia.</p>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://www.antinori.it/en/vino/tignanello-en/?wineyear=2015" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tignanello 2015</a></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-45164 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bottiglia-_0008_TIGNANELLO_grappa_ALTA-105x300.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="105" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bottiglia-_0008_TIGNANELLO_grappa_ALTA-105x300.jpg 105w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bottiglia-_0008_TIGNANELLO_grappa_ALTA-210x600.jpg 210w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bottiglia-_0008_TIGNANELLO_grappa_ALTA.jpg 378w" sizes="(max-width: 105px) 100vw, 105px" />The first modern Italian red wine to be blended with non-traditional grapes, thus propelling the Super Tuscan genre when it was released in 1975.</p>
<p>A blend of mostly Sangiovese, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.</p>
<p>The Antinori family has been in the wine business for six centuries.</p>
<hr />
<h3><a href="http://www.ornellaia.com/en/wines/ornellaia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ornellaia 2014</a></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-45168 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ornellaia-2014-97x300.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="97" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ornellaia-2014-97x300.jpg 97w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ornellaia-2014.jpg 378w" sizes="(max-width: 97px) 100vw, 97px" />Also the Antinori family, Ornellaia is the result of new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in 1981, with the first vintage hitting the market in 1985.</p>
<p>Styled after the wines of Bordeaux and made for ageing.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-48910 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-10.14.57-AM-87x300.png" alt="Best Tuscan Wines" width="87" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-10.14.57-AM-87x300.png 87w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screen-Shot-2021-05-27-at-10.14.57-AM.png 318w" sizes="(max-width: 87px) 100vw, 87px" /></p>
<hr />
<h3></h3>
<h3><a href="https://www.poderiboscarelli.com/prodotto/il-nocio-d-o-c-g-750/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boscarelli Il Nocio 2016</a></h3>
<p>Incredibly bold and tannic, this 100% Sangiovese has tantalizing notes of cherry, plum and blueberry at first sip, which evolves into earthy tones of tobacco, oak and balsamic for an austere finish.</p>
<p>This wine offers an intense yet delightful sharpness that’s best paired with red meat, poultry or game.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.internationalwinereport.com/latest-reports/5332-2011-biondi-santi-brunello-di-montalcino-2011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino 2011</a></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">The 1955 vintage was named one of 12 wines of the century by Wine Spectator magazine.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">These wines are 100% Sangiovese from a special clone of the grape known as Brunello, which was identified by Ferruccio Biondi Santi in the late 1800s.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong><a href="http://www.chianticlassico.com/aziende/isole-e-olena/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-48907 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Fontonidi_2006-175x300.png" alt="The Best Tuscan Wines Fontodi" width="175" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Fontonidi_2006-175x300.png 175w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Fontonidi_2006.png 350w" sizes="(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px" /></a><a href="http://www.fontodi.com/flaccianello.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flaccianello della Pieve 2006</a></strong></h3>
<p>From one of the best producers in the Chianti Classico region, Fontodi is nestled in a coveted location that receives the perfect amount of sun exposure thanks to its amphitheatre-shaped valley.</p>
<p>This is made with 100% Sangiovese, one of Italy’s most desired red grape varieties. Its velvety texture and enticing scents of blackberry, plum and sweet cherry blend perfectly with its earthy undertones of sweet anise, toasty oak and olive tapenade for a medium to full-bodied flavour.</p>
<hr />
<h3><a href="http://www.tenutedelcerro.it/fattoria-del-cerro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fattoria Del Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2014</a></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-45173 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MONTESODI-2012-1-90x300.jpg" alt="Best Tuscany Wines" width="90" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MONTESODI-2012-1-90x300.jpg 90w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MONTESODI-2012-1-180x600.jpg 180w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MONTESODI-2012-1.jpg 378w" sizes="(max-width: 90px) 100vw, 90px" />Easy drinking but quite complex for the price, this is made with 90% Sangiovese, known locally as Prugnolo Gentile, and 10% Mammolo, a somewhat obscure grape whose name means “violets.”</p>
<hr />
<h3><a href="https://en.frescobaldi.com/wines/montesodi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Castello di Nipozzano Montesodi 2012 </a></h3>
<p>From the Frescobaldi family, leaders in the Chianti region for 700 years, with six estates in Tuscany. This wine is 100% Sangiovese.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


8 of Our Absolute Favourite Tuscan Wines

Spain

Rioja

<h3><strong>Best Wines from Ribera del Duoro</strong></h3>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.cvne.com/en/ct-vino/imperial-reserva/"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38946 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lady-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" /></a><a href="http://www.vega-sicilia.com/en/wine/234/unico">Vega Sicilia Unico 2008</a><br />
</strong>The top wine from the legendary Vega Sicilia, founded in the Ribera region in 1864. This vintage is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Savoury with strawberry and blueberry, as well as prominent vanilla, it is drinking well now but will improve with age.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.haciendamonasterio.com/vinosreservaespecial2012-eng"><strong>Hacienda del Monasterio Reserva Especial 2012</strong></a></p>
<p>This winery is relatively new, having established itself in the 1990s and quickly gaining fame. The Reserva Especial is a powerful wine made from Tempranillo blended with 23% Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex fresh and aged fruit notes, with a long and fruity finish.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.emiliomoro.com/en/our-wine/#"><strong>Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2014</strong></a></p>
<p>The Moro family has farmed these vineyards since 1932 and are now making some of the most exciting wines in the region. This is 100% Tempranillo aged in French and American oak for 12 months. Flavours of black fruit, toasted oak and vanilla.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.grupopesquera.com/index.php/en/vinos-pesquera"><strong><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38950 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/diners-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="263" />Tinto Pesquera Crianza 2014</strong></a></p>
<p>An agricultural machinist named Alejandro Fernández helped propel Ribera del Duero to fame in the late 1980s with his high-quality wines. Tinto Pesquera is soft, plush and voluptuous — and very good value.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dominiodeatauta.com/vino/parada-de-atauta-2/?lang=en"><strong>Dominio de Atauta ‘Parada de Atauta’ 2015</strong></a></p>
<p>An age-worthy Ribera that will be at its best in a few more years. Lots of black fruit, ripe berry and plum. Big and brooding.</p>


The 10 Best Rioja and Ribera del Douro Wines

North America

United States

<h2><strong>Sonoma</strong><a href="https://www.kostabrowne.com/product/detail/16PNSC750/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39194 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/table-350px.jpg" alt="Top California Wines" width="350" height="230" /></strong></a></h2>
<h4><a href="https://www.kostabrowne.com/product/detail/16PNSC750/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016</strong></a></h4>
<p>A stellar vintage brought pristine fruit sourced from several vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, which experiences maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean. Savoury and spice notes meld with plum, currants and chocolate.</p>
<h4><a href="https://www.williamsselyem.com/wine/pinot-noir/2016-olivet-lane-vineyard-pinot-noir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Williams Selyem Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016</strong></a></h4>
<p>From one of the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley, planted in 1975. This was an excellent vintage. Expect a perfumed and floral Pinot with black cherry and herbal notes. A complex, voluptuous wine.</p>
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-39190 size-full aligncenter" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vines-green-732px.jpg" alt="Top California Wines" width="732" height="488" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vines-green-732px.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vines-green-732px-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></h4>
<h4><a href="https://www.lacrema.com/wine/nine-barrel-pinot-noir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>La Crema Nine Barrel Pinot Noir 2015</strong></a></h4>
<p>This 100% Pinot Noir is made from nine barrels selected by the winemaker for their exceptional quality. A complex, multi-layered Pinot packed with cherry, black licorice and chocolate.</p>
<h4><a href="https://www.pridewines.com/wine/our-wines/reserve-cabernet-sauvignon/2015-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015</strong></a></h4>
<p>A blend of fruit from Sonoma and Napa, this is Pride’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. It delivers the winery’s classic style: unctuous, powerful and fruit-forward, with layers of spice, herbs and nuts contributing to its intensity.</p>
<h4><a href="https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/en/our-wineries/arrowood" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Arrowood Réserve Spéciale Cabernet Sauvignon 2013</strong></a></h4>
<p>Arrowood has focused on Bordeaux varieties since 1986. The <a href="https://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/r%C3%A9serve-sp%C3%A9ciale-cabernet-sauvignon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flagship Réserve Spéciale</a> is designed for ageing for 20 or more years. Robert Parker rated this wine 94+ points.</p>
<h4><a href="http://www.kistlervineyards.com/wines/chardonnay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay 2015</strong></a></h4>
<p>Kistler is a specialist in Chardonnay, though they also do wonderful Pinot Noir. <a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/kistler-sonoma-mountain-chardonnay-2015/183921#.WuMYWdPwZTY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This wine</a> is made with fruit sourced from vineyard parcels in the Sonoma Mountains.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-39196 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vineyard-barn-732-px.jpg" alt="Top California Wines" width="732" height="487" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vineyard-barn-732-px.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/vineyard-barn-732-px-451x300.jpg 451w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>


Top 11 California Wines<Br> You Must Try

Travel Tips

B&amp;R Picks

Romania

Reading for the Road: <br>A Few of Our Favourite Books About Romania 

Bordeaux

<h4>St-Emilion</h4>
<p>To most people, <strong><em>St-Emilion</em></strong> is the appellation of fine red wine. It is, however, also the name of a charming village in the middle of the wine-growing district.  Its origins go back to the 8<sup>th</sup> century when the hermit Emilion dug out a cave for himself in the rock.  The like-minded followed the hermit, and by the Middle Ages, St-Emilion had become a small town.  Today medieval houses still line the narrow streets, and parts of the 13th-century ramparts remain.  Famous châteaux in the district include the elegant Figeac, Cheval Blanc, Angelus and Ausone.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37846 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BDOBS_08282011_PHA_PF_446-Chateau-Figeac-732px-compressed.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="488" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BDOBS_08282011_PHA_PF_446-Chateau-Figeac-732px-compressed.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BDOBS_08282011_PHA_PF_446-Chateau-Figeac-732px-compressed-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Recommended Bottles:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>&#8211;<a href="https://www.chateau-figeac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Château Figeac, 2010</a><br />
</strong><strong>&#8211;<a href="https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/en/vintages/chateau-cheval-blanc-2014">Château Cheval Blanc, 2014 </a><br />
</strong><strong>&#8211;<a href="http://www.vignoblesperse.com/en/vin/1/chateau-pavie">Château Pavie, 2016</a> </strong></p>
<h4><strong>Pomerol</strong></h4>
<p>This small but distinctive wine region produces opulent and glamorous red wines using mainly the Merlot grape.  Pomerol’s most successful wines are some of the world’s most acclaimed.  The finest wines are made on the highest parts of the plateau, which is predominantly gravel with layers of clay, becoming sandier in the west, where lighter wines are made.  The subsoil here is dominated by a local iron-rich clay, known as <em>crasse de fer</em>, of which Château Pétrus has a stratum particularly close to the surface.  Pomerol is unusual in being the only one of Bordeaux’s great wine districts to have no official classification.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37851 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wine-Glasses-960px-compressed.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wine-Glasses-960px-compressed.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wine-Glasses-960px-compressed-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wine-Glasses-960px-compressed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Wine-Glasses-960px-compressed-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Recommended Bottles:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>&#8211;<a href="https://www.la-conseillante.com/en/notre-vin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Château La Conseillante, 2010</a> </strong><br />
<strong>&#8211;<a href="http://www.vieuxchateaucertan.com/en/great-wines-pomerol/vieux-chateau-certan.html">Vieux Château Certan, 2015</a> </strong><br />
<strong>&#8211;<a href="http://www.moueix.com/en/pomerol/trotanoy/">Château Trotanoy, 2015</a><br />
&#8211; Château Pétrus, 2016</strong></p>


The World's Best: Top 15 Bordeaux Wines

Sicily

Reading for the Road: <br>A Few of Our Favourite Books About Sicily

Reading for the Road: <br>Our Favourite Books About Rioja

Croatia

<h4><a href="https://amzn.to/2pNqYho" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38247" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Black-Lamb-177x300.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Black-Lamb-177x300.jpg 177w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Black-Lamb.jpg 294w" sizes="(max-width: 177px) 100vw, 177px" />Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia</a></h4>
<p><strong>By Rebecca West</strong></p>
<p>First published in 1941, this monumental work explores the complex history of Yugoslavia, its heroes, politics and culture. It&#8217;s a big, challenging book—called by some the best ever written on the Balkans.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/2pNqYho" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><a href="https://amzn.to/2E2pFQB" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38249 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Croatia-Forged-in-War-191x300.jpg" alt="" width="191" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Croatia-Forged-in-War-191x300.jpg 191w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Croatia-Forged-in-War.jpg 318w" sizes="(max-width: 191px) 100vw, 191px" />Croatia, A Nation Forged in War</a></h4>
<p><strong>By Marcus Tanner</strong></p>
<p>A modern history of Croatia, from its medieval origins to the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia to the present day. Written by a London Independent correspondent, an eyewitness to the events of 1993.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/2E2pFQB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>


Reading for the Road: <br>A Few of Our Favourite Books About Croatia

Reading for the Road: <br>A Few of Our Favourite Books About Holland

Catalonia

Reading for the Road: Our Favourite Books About Catalonia

Czech Republic

Reading for the Road:<br> The Best Books About the Czech Republic

Iceland

Andalucia

Reading for the Road: <br>Our Favourite Books About Andalucia

Venice

Veneto

<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2GwYgJp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A History of Venice</a><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-38035 size-medium alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/History-of-Venice-192x300.jpg" alt="" width="192" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/History-of-Venice-192x300.jpg 192w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/History-of-Venice.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px" /></h4>
<p><strong>By John Julius Norwich</strong></p>
<p>The great historian Norwich marshals myriad personalities, battles, sieges and facts into a vivid portrait of the Venetian Republic spanning the 1,000 years up to its 1797 defeat at the hands of Napoleon.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2GwYgJp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h3><a href="http://amzn.to/2HCruWG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Italian Neighbors</a><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-38032 size-medium alignleft" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Italian-Neighbors-198x300.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Italian-Neighbors-198x300.jpg 198w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Italian-Neighbors.jpg 313w" sizes="(max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px" /></h3>
<p><strong>By Tim Parks</strong></p>
<p>This sparkling memoir by the British novelist captures the travails and delights of life in the Italian countryside outside of Venice in Veneto. Montecchio, which Parks so indelibly sketches in this favourite book, is outside Verona.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2HCruWG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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Austria

Reading for the Road:<br> A Few of Our Favourite Books About Austria

Peru

Reading for the Road:<br> Our Favourite Books About Peru

Piemonte

Germany

<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2FVPZRq" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38015" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum.jpg 332w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />The Tin Drum</a></h4>
<p><strong>By Günter Grass</strong></p>
<p>Considered to be perhaps the best German novel written since the end of World War II, this is the surreal story of a mute dwarf named Oskar who lives through Nazi Germany and finds himself in a mental institution. The film was adapted into a film which won the 1979 Palme d&#8217;Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FVPZRq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<hr />
<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2HAwHOF" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38016 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden.jpg 332w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945</a></h4>
<p><strong>By Frederick Taylor</strong></p>
<p>A re-evaluation of the Allied firebombing of Dresden, one of the most destructive, and still controversial, air campaigns of WWII.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2HAwHOF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>


Normandy

<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2FC8RSR" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14373" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN40.jpg" alt="Books About Normandy" width="108" height="165" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FC8RSR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D-Day June 6, 1944, The Climactic Battle of World War II</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Stephen Ambrose</strong></p>
<p>Written by the best-selling historian Stephen Ambrose, this well researched book draws together interviews and government documents to tell the gripping tale of D-Day. This comprehensive account contains 32 pages of photos and eight maps.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FC8RSR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt; </a></p>
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<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2ox1rJn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-14376 alignleft" title="Michelin Normandy" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN89-168x320.jpg" alt="Books About Normandy" width="105" height="199" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN89-168x320.jpg 168w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN89.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 105px) 100vw, 105px" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2ox1rJn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelin Green Guide Normandy</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Michelin Travel Publications</strong></p>
<p>A thorough introduction to Normandy and the Channel islands in the classic Michelin style, featuring brief descriptions of all the major attractions. Organized alphabetically, we like it for its broad coverage, and especially for its excellent local maps.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2ox1rJn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2FEojxX" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14377" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/WLD121-196x320.jpg" alt="Books About Normandy" width="106" height="171" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FEojxX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Time to Keep Silence</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Patrick Leigh Fermor</strong></p>
<p>This entrancing chronicle of sojourns in the monasteries of Solesmes, Wandrille and La Grande Trappe in Normandy in the 1940s concludes with a visit to Cappadocia&#8217;s rock chapels, hewn of stone and long abandoned.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FEojxX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


<span>Reading for the Road: </span><br>Our Favourite Books About Normandy

Best Wines of the World

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<h3><a href="http://www.menerbes.fr/Menerbes/le-vin-la-truffe-et-la-pierre/les-domaines-viticoles/65-domaine-ruffinatto" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33242" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Ruffinatto.jpg" width="275" height="291" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Ruffinatto.jpg 340w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Ruffinatto-283x300.jpg 283w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />Domaine Ruffinatto</a></h3>
<h5>Menerbes, AOC Luberon</h5>
<p>This Owner/winemaker is also the mayor of Menerbes and a friend of B&amp;R.</p>
<p>Most of his wines are on limestone soils and he makes a very limited amount of wine, mostly reds with good structure and minerality, while his whites and rosés are fresh and thirst-quenching.</p>
<p>Difficult to visit (unless you’re with B&amp;R, of course); appointment required.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.domaine-mordoree.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33258" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mordoree-93x300.jpg" width="124" height="400" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mordoree-93x300.jpg 93w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mordoree.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 124px) 100vw, 124px" />Domaine de la Mordorée</a></h3>
<h5>AOC village of Tavel</h5>
<p>Robert Parker listed this winery as one of the top 100 in the world.</p>
<p>Original owner/winemaker Christophe Delorme sadly left us last year at the very young age of 52. His wife, daughter and loyal staff are continuing in his footsteps, making some of the most well known wines in the Appellations they produce.</p>
<p>His legendary Tavel rosés are deep and structured. Their white Liracs are complex, with impressive freshness, and the red Lirac &amp; Chateauneuf du Papes are rich and age-worthy.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room and all wines are organic.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.saintcosme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chateau St. Cosme</a></h3>
<figure id="attachment_33244" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33244" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-33244" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="300" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33244" class="wp-caption-text">Owner/winemaker Louis Barruol</figcaption></figure>
<h5>AOC Gigondas, on the edge of the beautiful village of Gigondas</h5>
<p>Owner/winemaker Louis Barruol makes the most impressive AOC Gigondas! His family has owned this winery since 1490 and there are even Roman wine vats carved out of the limestone in the cellar.</p>
<p>Most of his vines are on limestone and clay. If you’re in the area you absolutely must visit, and just hope they have wine left to taste. Louis has a very impressive negociant business where he produces excellent wines from many Rhone Cru Appellations.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33245" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme2.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme2.jpg 1200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme2-480x270.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Saint-Cosme2-960x540.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
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<h3><a href="https://www.domainedemourchon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33261 size-full" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mourchon.jpg" width="300" height="417" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mourchon.jpg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Mourchon-216x300.jpg 216w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Domaine Mourchon</a></h3>
<h5>Village of Seguret</h5>
<p>Situated above the stunning medieval village of Seguret, they make a few different wines, but specialize in AOC Cotes du Rhone Village Seguret. Owner Walter McKinnley, who is half Scottish and half English, is a wonderful gent and gives a fantastic visit of his &#8220;James Bond&#8221; winery (all done by gravity).</p>
<p>Their soil is mostly intense limestone, which allows them to make deeply structured red wines. They also make a little white and rosé, which are delightful with serious drinkability.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.chateauneuf.dk/cairanne/en/caen21.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33241" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Richaud.jpg" width="100" height="294" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Richaud.jpg 175w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Richaud-102x300.jpg 102w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" />Domaine Richaud</a></h3>
<h5>AOC Cairanne</h5>
<p>Owner/Winemaker Marcel Richaud is an icon and his family are the locomotive of the AOC Cairanne – they were the proponents to bring Cairanne into Cru status this past year. His wines are organic and he has various soils, including clay, limestone, and river rock.</p>
<p>They make intense deep reds, small batches of white and rosés that are delicious. Very little sulphur is added to their wines and they are organic.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.sangdescailloux.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-33252" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Cailloux-100x300.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Cailloux-100x300.jpg 100w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Cailloux.jpg 182w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" />Domaine le Sang de Cailloux</a></h3>
<h5>AOC Vacqueyras, outside of Sarrians</h5>
<p>Owner/winemaker Serge Ferigoule, like Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, was one of the three determined men to bring Vacqueyras into Cru status in 1990.</p>
<p>His famous moustache is known for miles, as are his wines. He and his children make two reds and one white. Most of his soil is clay and limestone and they work biodynamically.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room.</p>
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<h3><a href="http://www.coteaux-des-travers.com/index.php/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domaine Coteaux des Travers</a></h3>
<h5><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33248" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Travers.jpg" width="300" height="237" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Travers.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Best-Rhone-Valley-Wines-Travers-380x300.jpg 380w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />AOC Rasteau</h5>
<p>Owner/winemaker Robert Charvin is the former president of the AOC Rasteau. His passion and patience has helped this brilliant, but not well known appellation gain notoriety.</p>
<p>He has blue clay and limestone soils and he works biodynamically. He makes deep, fruity reds and some very tasty sweet VDN (fortified) wines. This Appellation is allowed to make this style of wine and its’ a very small production, but wonderful for certain dishes.</p>
<p>Winery includes tasting room.</p>


The 9 Best Wines of <br>the Côtes du Rhône

Vines 101

Portugal

<h2>Different Types of Portuguese Wine</h2>
<p>Now that we&#8217;ve established Portuguese wine&#8217;s place in the wine world, let&#8217;s move on to some important facts about the types of vines planted in the country, the main grapes used for production and the recognized appellations.</p>
<h3>The Reds</h3>
<p><strong>Alfrocheiro:</strong> Used more in Alentejo and Dão, this grape adapts quite well throughout the country’s climate and is becoming more and more popular in recent plantations. Alfrocheiro wines are characterized by fine aromas of red fruits and wild floral hints. Very balanced when it comes to tannins, alcohol and acidity levels.</p>
<p><strong>Alicante Bouschet:</strong> Originally a French grape variety, this grape is characterized by its intense colour. Its resistance to warm weather is the reason why we can see it abundantly being used in the Alentejo region.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-31245 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Portuguese-wine-Touriga-Nacional-133x300.jpg" alt="Portuguese-wine-Touriga-Nacional" width="133" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Portuguese-wine-Touriga-Nacional-133x300.jpg 133w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Portuguese-wine-Touriga-Nacional-267x600.jpg 267w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Portuguese-wine-Touriga-Nacional.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 133px) 100vw, 133px" /></p>
<p><strong>Tinta Barroca:</strong> Mostly used in the Douro region, its resistance to plagues and infections makes it popular, as it requires less attention. It produces soft and easy-drinking wines with higher alcoholic content.</p>
<p><strong>Tinta Roriz (Aragonez):</strong> This grape has a higher sensitivity to rain. It offers good potential for ageing and its wines are normally characterized by its strong tannins and hints of red fruits like plums and cherries.</p>
<p><strong>Tinto Cão:</strong> One of the main five grape varieties used in the Douro region, this grape presents better yields and flavour when planted in non-fertile soil. Strong, solid tannins and high acidity levels offer the producer a good potential for ageing.</p>
<p><strong>Touriga Franca:</strong> This one gains its recognition mainly in Douro wines (DOC and Ports). Its average yield produces high-quality wines with intense aromas and strong, solid tannins, but smooth in taste.</p>
<p><strong>Touriga Nacional:</strong> I dare say it’s the grape variety present in some of the best wines the country has to offer. Originally giving us the best Dão wines, it is in Douro and Alentejo where it’s used in more monovarietal productions. This grape produces very aromatic wines where velvet is the main note. It also offers soft and smooth tannins and good ageing potential.</p>
<h3>The Whites</h3>
<p><strong>Alvarinho:</strong> An Iberian grape variety with low yields and high resistance to fungus. Its main regions are the Minho River Valley and the Spanish Rias Baixas. Highly characterized by its strong acidity levels and strong citric aromas.</p>
<p><strong>Antão Vaz:</strong> Considered by some to be the main white grape variety in Alentejo. Highly resistant to dry and warm climates. Presents intense citric and mineral aromas with a firm acidity level. The perfect choice for a warm summer day.</p>
<p><strong>Arinto:</strong> Also known as Pedernã. It can be found in young wines and its light acidity and citric aromas make it a good companion on warm days.</p>
<p><strong>Loureiro:</strong> Easily and most successfully found in the Vinho Verde region. (Despite the literal translation, please don’t refer to it as &#8220;Green Wine&#8221; as locals will not understand what you are talking about!) Intense aromas, citric and floral hints give place to fine wines. Will express itself better if planted in fertile soils with Atlantic influence.</p>
<p><strong>Viosinho:</strong> Autochthonous from Douro and Tras-os-Montes, this grape variety tends to prefer wetter soils. It is also used as a blending variety in Port.</p>
<h3>Fortified Wines</h3>
<p>In these types of wines, we have a common characteristic: alcohol is added before the fermentation process ends, interrupting the sugar transformation into alcohol. These wines are characterized by their high levels of sugar and alcohol.</p>
<p><strong>Port Wine:</strong> port is produced out of red and white grape varieties and it can be divided into two types of ageing.</p>
<p><strong>Tawny:</strong> Aged in a barrel by oxidation. Tawnies are further divided into categories: Tawny Reserve, Tawny with age indication and Colheita (the latter being the best, in my opinion).</p>
<p><strong>Ruby:</strong> Wine protected from oxidation. Rubies are divided into categories: Vintage Character, Late Bottle Vintage and Vintage (the latter also being known as the King of Ports).</p>
<h3>Sparkling Wines</h3>
<p>Portugal produces white, red and rose sparkling wines. We can find quite decent sparkling wines throughout the country but it’s in Douro, Távora-Varosa and Bairrada where we can find the best examples.</p>
<p>My advice? Always order a Brut. In my opinion, it will be the variety that best reflects the quality of a good sparkling wine.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Portuguese Soil and Climate</h2>
<p>We can’t conclude a post about Portuguese wine without discussing terroir or climate!</p>
<p>Shale, granite and chalk are among the main soil compositions throughout Portugal. Douro can be characterized by its shale and the Vinho Verde region by the granitic influence, while the Alentejo features a mixed soil type.</p>
<p>For such a small country, Portugal can offer a variety of different climates from North to South. The Portuguese take great pride in this variety, as it allows them to differentiate their wines from those produced in other countries.</p>
<p>With more than 250 varieties of grapes and a wide range of appellations, Portugal will almost certainly have a wine that suits your palate.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> An Introduction to Portuguese Wine

Burgundy

<h2><strong>Reds</strong></h2>
<p>Using the pinot noir grape, here is a list of truly excellent red wines to be found in Burgundy:</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.domaine-denis-mortet.fr/site/lang-pref/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2003 – Domaine Denis Mortet</a></h3>
<p>Hands down, this is the best wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking in my life! This wine is best offered and shared with very good friends—they’ll owe you one!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28256" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Champeaux-inset.jpg" alt="Champeaux-inset" width="1200" height="650" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Champeaux-inset.jpg 1200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Champeaux-inset-480x260.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Champeaux-inset-768x416.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Champeaux-inset-960x520.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<h3><a href="http://www.dubuet-monthelie.fr/anglais/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monthélie 1er Cru Les Champs Fulliot 2012 – Domaine Guy Dubuet &amp; Fils</a></h3>
<p>The vineyard is now run by their son, David. This is to me what Burgundy is all about: simplicity, generosity, discretion, friendship… You have all of this in David’s bottles.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-28260 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1085211x-125x300.jpg" alt="Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2009 – Domaine Tollot Beault" width="125" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1085211x-125x300.jpg 125w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1085211x.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px" /></p>
<h3><a href="https://www.burgundy-report.com/autumn-2006/domaine-tollot-beaut-a-profile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2009 – Domaine Tollot Beault</a></h3>
<p>It&#8217;s difficult to find the right word for this wine. I’ll start by saying it&#8217;s beautiful, sensitive, wild and delicate. Perhaps you will find some more words to add to the list when you enjoy your first sip?</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.domaine-rousseau.com/en/domaine-armand-rousseau/our-history.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chambertin 2005 – Domaine Armand Rousseau</a></h3>
<p>This is the second-best wine I’ve drunk in my life… And believe it or not, I had some more than once and even own some myself! It isn’t cheap, but it is truly delicious.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.pasmarchand.com/en/content/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bourgogne Pinot Noir “Avalon” 2011 – Domaine Pascal Marchand</a></h3>
<p>This wine is made by an exceptional and legendary character of Burgundy, Pascal Marchand. This Pinot Noir is one of his simplest wines, but there is such a pleasure at each sip!</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.domaine-comte-armand.com/index.php?l=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux “Monopole” 2008 – Domaine du Comte Armand</a></h3>
<p>This wine is the jewel in Benjamin Leroux’s crown! We wish the best to Paul Zinetti, the new “régisseur” of this prestigious vineyard.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Wine From My Friends</strong></h2>
<p>I am lucky enough to have friends who make wine here in Burgundy. I not only love them for who they are but also for the wines they make. Here is my selection:</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.bordeauxwinenews.com/blog/waiting-for-gevrey-chambertin-2012very-much-worth-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gevrey Chambertin 2012 – Jane Eyre</a></h3>
<p>Moving from her native Australia to try her hand at a wine harvest, Jane studied winemaking for 12 years. Her Gevrey Chambertin is elegant, delicious and utterly promising. Jane shares a winery with Dominique Lafon, so she is in good company. You can read all about Jane <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/09/10/experst-insiders-jane-eyre-renard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.butterfieldwine.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meursault 2011 – David Butterfield</a></h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28265" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Butterfield-Meursault.jpg" alt="Butterfield-Meursault" width="922" height="288" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Butterfield-Meursault.jpg 922w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Butterfield-Meursault-480x150.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Butterfield-Meursault-768x240.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 922px) 100vw, 922px" /></p>
<p>Created by my good friend (and George and Martha Butterfield’s son) <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/10/22/qa-david-butterfield/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David</a>, this elegant and pure white wine is perfectly paired with a <em>Poulet de Bresse</em> for Sunday lunch.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.domainenewman.com/english/contact.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2010 – Domaine Newman</a></h3>
<p>Chris Newman may be my friend, but he is also a highly esteemed winemaker. This wine is almost impossible to come by and is best drunk with Chris—tell him I sent you!</p>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.hotel-fatien-beaune.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Domaine Maison Fatien Père &amp; Fils – Volnay 2010 (Rouge)</a></strong></h3>
<p>Charly pours all of his passion and energy into his wines, making for a truly charming find!</p>


The 8 Best Burgundy Wines<br><span> (And 4 More of My Favourites) </span>

New Zealand

<p>Decades ago, there were about five labels and 30 hectares of producing vines in central Otago; now there are around 35 well-established vineyards, with a total of over 767 hectares of vines! More recently, about two dozen more vineyards have been started up, some by celebrities such as actor Sam Neill and director Roger Donaldson.</p>
<p>Demand for the best New Zealand wines is high and the wineries are small, so there is a limited volume for export. The quality is excellent and keeps getting better.</p>
<p>The four main grapes are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. Vineyards that achieve consistent 4- or 5-star labels, both in reds and whites, include Cooper’s Creek, Morton Estate, Hunter, Te Mata, Cloudy Bay and Babich. According to the wine maestro for New Zealand wines, <a title="Bob Campbell" href="http://www.bobcampbell.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Campbell</a>, the following are the top ten:</p>
<h2>Whites</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.saintclair.co.nz/news/112/Cuisine_Tasting_Discovers_Saint_Clair_Wairau_Reserve_Sauvignon_Blanc_2006_as_Top_Wine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2006</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.villamaria.co.nz/wines/product-details/_prod_/Villa-Maria-Single-Vineyard-Ihumatao-Chardonnay/?productlistPCMID=29536&amp;productListCategories=87" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2005</a></li>
<li><a href="http://airnzwineawards.co.nz/default,1501,astrolabe-pinot-gris-2006.sm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Astrolabe Pinot Gris, 2006</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.kimcrawfordwines.com/ca/our-wines/spitfire-sauvignon-blanc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2006</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.kimcrawfordwines.com/ca/our-wines/unoaked-chardonnay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kim Crawford Marlborough Unoaked Chardonnay, 2006</a></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Reds</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.deltawines.co.nz/pressroom/readWineReview.asp?WiID=17&amp;L=2005%20Delta%20Hatter%27s%20Hill%20Pinot%20Noir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.villamaria.co.nz/Modules/DocumentLibrary/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentId=72" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2004</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.wooingtree.co.nz/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wooing Tree Central Otago Pinot Noir 2005</a></li>
<li><a href="http://airnzwineawards.co.nz/default,2307,church-road-sv-cabernet-merlot-2004.sm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Church Road SV Cabernet Merlot 2004</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.airnzwineawards.com/default,1100,ngatarawa-wines-silks-syrah-2004.sm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Silks Syrah, 2004</a></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>So, where can I go to stock up?</h3>
<p>One good place in Christchurch to shop for wine is Liquorland (multiple locations), open Monday to Saturday.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> The 10 Best New Zealand Wines

<h2>Châteauneuf-du-Pape</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-33291 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Chateauneuf-du-Pape.png" alt="" width="400" height="266" />The most exquisite southern Rhône red wines come from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.</p>
<p>A typical wine from here should have a deep black/purple colour and a nose of spice and red berry fruits. It should be round and silky in the mouth.</p>
<p>Names to look for include Rayas, Domaine de Pëgau, Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, Vieux Donjon, Mont Redon, Beaurenard, Domaine de la Janasse and La Nerthe (particularly for their white wine).</p>
<p>Bear in mind, of course, there are over 250 producers of this wine in the region, and many others not listed here are top-notch.</p>
<h2>The Regional Appellations of Provence</h2>
<p>Below Avignon, the Côtes du Rhône give way to the regional appellations.</p>
<p>One of these appellations is the Côteaux des Baux around St-Rémy and Les Baux. The first person to produce truly excellent wines here was Elio Durbach at Domaine de Trevallon. His red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah, and in great years, is a fabulous wine, black ruby in colour, with a concentrated nose of black cherry, tobacco and Provençal herbs.</p>


<p>Other quality names from this region include Mas de Gourgonnier, Mas St-Berthe, and Mas de la Dame, all three of which are on the southern slopes of the Alpilles.</p>
<p>On many of B&amp;R&#8217;s trips we stay near the Château du Romanin on the northern slopes of the Alpilles. Recently, this domaine has made some delicious red and white wines. Also close by is the Domaine de Terres Blanches, where they make a refreshing, fairly acidic white wine. Their red Cuvée de Taven is shockingly good. The red wine of Domaine de Hauvette is also worth a try.</p>
<h2>Côtes de Lubéron</h2>
<p>Further east, the Côtes de Lubéron, which gained appellation status in 1988, is now firmly on the wine map. The region has cooler nights than the rest of Provence, which has helped to produce crisp, interesting white wines, and some very good rosés.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-22777 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Luberon.jpg" alt="" width="625" height="207" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Luberon.jpg 625w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Luberon-320x105.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></p>
<h2>Mont Ventoux</h2>
<p>North of the Lubéron is the Mont Ventoux appellation, named after the famous mountain. The predominantly red and rosé wines from this region are made from a blend of grenache, syrah, cinsaut and carignan.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33295" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Mont-Ventoux.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Mont-Ventoux.jpg 1200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Mont-Ventoux-480x240.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Mont-Ventoux-768x384.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rhone-Wine-Mont-Ventoux-960x480.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p>
<p>The cooling effect of the mountain causes the grapes to ripen late in the year. But if conditions are right, the wine here can have great fruit and character. Names to look for are Fondreche, Murmurium, des Anges and Château Pesque.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Examining the Wine of <br>the Côtes du Rhône and Provençal Appellations

Umbria

<h5>Torgiano Rosso Riserva D.O.C.G</h5>
<p>This wine is usually made with 70 percent Sangiovese and 30 percent Canaiolo grapes. It is grown in the hills around Torgiano. Producers continue to follow traditional wine-making methods, first aging the wine in oak barrels for a few months, followed by several years in the bottle. These wines are typically mahogany in colour, with a bouquet of preserves, sweet spices, tobacco and boxwood. A dry, well-structured wine. Producer to look out for: Lungarotti.</p>
<figure id="attachment_22075" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22075" style="width: 220px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-22075" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/OrvietoWineAndDuomo-220x320.jpg" alt="Umbria wine " width="220" height="320" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/OrvietoWineAndDuomo-220x320.jpg 220w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/OrvietoWineAndDuomo.jpg 330w" sizes="(max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-22075" class="wp-caption-text">A glass of Orvieto, near the Duomo of its namesake town.</figcaption></figure>
<h5>Orvieto D.O.C</h5>
<p>Orvieto comprises more than two-thirds of the wines made in Umbria. It is a pale, dry white wine, made with about 40 percent Grechetto grapes (native), and various quantities of Verdello grapes and Canaiolo Bianco grapes. These wines are typically drunk young. Some producers are also making sweet wine. Producers to look out for: Bigi, Palazzone, Barbarani, and Custodi’s sweet wine.</p>
<h5>Montefalco Rosso D.O.C</h5>
<p>These wines are considered very approachable. They are made with 60-70 percent Sangiovese grapes, 10-15 percent Sagrantino grapes and a smattering of Cabernet and Merlot grapes. Typically ruby-red in colour, this wine smells of berry jams, aromatic herbs and wood smoke. Producers to look out for: Adanti, Colpetrone, Sciacciadiavoli, Fratelli Pardi.</p>
<h5>Romanelli</h5>
<p>A lesser known but favourite producer located in the Sagrantino di Montefalco D.O.C.G and Rossi di Montefalco sections, <a title="Romanelli" href="http://www.romanelli.se/ARVinoProdottiEng.php" target="_blank">Romanelli</a> is more of a boutique wine compared to the aforementioned Arnaldo Caprai, but definitely an excellent option.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Umbria Wine

Gaja

Michele Chiarlo

Tignanello

<figure id="attachment_20041" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20041" style="width: 86px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-20041" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rovereto-86x320.jpg" alt="Rovereto Gavi " width="86" height="320" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20041" class="wp-caption-text">Rovereto Gavi</figcaption></figure>
<h5>Michele Chiarlo</h5>
<p>Another prime example of a legacy wine producer, <a title="Michele Chiarlo" href="http://www.michelechiarlo.it/main.php" target="_blank">Michele Chiarlo</a>&#8216;s family has been growing wine for seven generations. Since 1956 Michele has been plying his family&#8217;s trade, producing his first <a title="Barolo: The King of Wines " href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/04/03/barolo-the-king-of-wines/" target="_blank">Barolo </a>in 1958. Nearly six decades later, Chiarlo&#8217;s earned a reputation as one of Italy&#8217;s finest producers by maintaining an exceptional commitment to quality. Armed with a degree from the Enology Institute of Alba (also, perhaps not coincidentally, the alma mater of Angelo Gaja), Chiarlo&#8217;s trademark style entails &#8220;the moderate and very careful use of wood so that only the varietal and terroir characteristics&#8221; are evident in the wine.</p>
<p>While Chiarlo&#8217;s vineyards include 110 hectares in Langhe, Monferrato and Gavi, it&#8217;s the latter Gavi vineyard of Fornace di Tassarolo in the Rovereto that <a title="wine.com" href="http://www.wine.com/v6/Michele-Chiarlo/learnabout.aspx?winery=7004&amp;state=CA" target="_blank">Wine.com</a> describes as &#8220;perhaps the crown jewel&#8221; among his holdings. It&#8217;s from here that Chiarlo produces his &#8220;brilliant and intense&#8221; Gavi, which along with his exceptional Barbera&#8217; and Barolos, has helped define his reputation.</p>
<hr />
<h5>Tignanello</h5>
<figure id="attachment_20044" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20044" style="width: 105px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-20044" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/tignanello-98-09_13-105x320.png" alt="Tignanello " width="105" height="320" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20044" class="wp-caption-text">Tignanello</figcaption></figure>
<p>Moving from Piemonte into Tuscany, Tignanello stands a member of the famous <a title="Antinori" href="http://www.antinori.it/en" target="_blank">Antinori family</a>. While both Gaja and Chiarlo can claim a legacy of winemaking, Antinori&#8217;s roots run perhaps deeper than anyones: the company can trace its history all the way back to 1385. (And here we were thinking &#8220;<a title="Since 1966" href="http://www.butterfield.com/about/since-1966/" target="_blank">Since 1966</a>&#8221; had some cultural caché.)</p>
<p>Today Antinori&#8217;s offerings are both prolific and esteemed, but perhaps none more so than Tignanello. A landmark of sorts, Tignanenllo was the first wine to blend Tuscany&#8217;s native Sangiovese grapes with non-traditional varieties like Cabernet. Also one of the first Chianti reds to forgo the use of white grapes, it&#8217;s aged in barriques for 12 months before aging for another year in the bottle. The resulting blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes prompted <em>Wine Spectator</em> to call its 2011 vintage &#8220;a powerful red, with plum, blackberry and black cherry flavors that border on jammy, all kept in check by juicy acidity and firm, dense tannins and leather and earth accents.&#8221;</p>


Vini Rossi Favolosi: <br>3 of Our Favourite Italian Wine Producers

Alsace

<h3>The Seven Grape Varieties of Alsace Wine</h3>
<figure id="attachment_19576" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19576" style="width: 212px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-19576 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Alsace_riesling.jpg" alt="Alsace wine " width="212" height="320" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-19576" class="wp-caption-text">A bottle of Alsace Riesling</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Sylvaner:</strong> A quarter of all vines are Sylvaner. The vines are high yield, and therefore more economical to grow. Sylvaner grapes produce a light, fresh, uncomplicated wine that pairs well with seafood and charcuterie. Often blended with other grapes to produce Edelzwicker, popular in Molsheim and Avolsheim.</p>
<p><strong>Muscat:</strong> Produces a dry wine with a fruity nose. Good for an apéritif.</p>
<p><strong>Riesling:</strong> Considered by some to be the king of Alsace wine. Dry and delicately fruity, and the closest you’ll come to a great Burgundian white. Complex, with a full character and buttery finish. Pale gold in colour. The best should be aged at least a few years. Excellent with seafood, choucroute, backeoffe and poultry.</p>
<p><strong>Pinot Gris:</strong> Sometimes referred to simply as Tokay. Produces a full-bodied, golden, smokey wine, with a taste of honey or nuts. Excellent with foie gras.</p>
<p><strong>Gewurztraminer:</strong> A small, reddish grape that produces a sultry dry white with a spicy aroma (Gewurz means spice). A good wine to cellar. Try the Vendange Tardive Gewurz with Munster cheese.</p>
<p><strong>Pinot Blanc:</strong> A close relation to Chardonnay, but lacking its depth and character. A good wine to drink young. Used to make Crémant d’Alsace (sparkling wine).</p>
<p><strong> Pinot Noir:</strong> The only red grape permitted in Alsace. The finest pinots come from Ottrot, particularly the producer Vonville.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br>An Introduction to<br> Alsace Wine

<p>Prohibition lasted fourteen years, from 1920 to 1933. Some vintners survived by making sacramental or pharmaceutical wines. But for others, it would take years to build back their businesses. Still, one thing was clear—there would be no returning to wheat or cattle raising. Napa Valley was on its way to becoming America’s premier wine region.</p>
<h4>Wine on the Rise</h4>
<figure id="attachment_19337" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19337" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-19337" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Montelena_inset.jpg" alt="Napa Valley Wine " width="320" height="207" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-19337" class="wp-caption-text">This bottle of Chateau Montelena won the Chardonnay tasting that helped put Napa wine on the world&#8217;s radar.</figcaption></figure>
<p>By 1966, wine was becoming fashionable, not only in California, but also across the nation. Between 1966 and 1972, wine consumption doubled. Visitors started pouring into the area to look, sample and buy. By the mid-‘70s there were again more than 50 wineries in operation in Napa Valley, and a new promotional technique had been developed—wine tasting. In order to let the public see how great the product was, vintners opened their doors and uncorked their bottles for sampling. Many opened their cellars for touring. Add to it all an outstanding showing by Napa Valley wines in <a title="Judgment of Paris " href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris_%28wine%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a 1976 blind taste test with some of the world’s most prestigious wineries in France</a>, and the world-wide wine community was beginning to take notice.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, viticulture became a sort of dream occupation, a creative endeavour that could be both financially rewarding and personally satisfying. New wineries popped up almost overnight; many operated by individuals drawn into the field because they savoured living close to the soil.</p>
<p>Today, the Napa Valley thrives on being on the cutting edge in both wine making and production, with a fruitful future ahead.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> A History of Napa Valley Wine

<h2>Casablanca Valley</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-19134 size-full" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Casablanca.jpg" alt="Chilean wine" width="320" height="320" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Casablanca.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Casablanca-125x125.jpg 125w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /> Home to Chile’s fastest growing wine region, the beautiful Casablanca Valley is located just an hour outside of Santiago. World-famous for its terroir and commitment to the finest winemaking technology, the Casablanca Valley produces some of Chile’s best white wines and cool-climate reds.</p>
<p>The region is a Denomination of Origin (DO) defined by the Chilean Appellation system, meaning the region is a legally defined and protected geographical area for specific grapes. Its clay and sandy soils are among the most unique in the world, blending combinations of clay, granite, iron and shell.</p>
<p>The first vines were planted in the Casablanca Valley in the mid-1980s during the revitalization of Chile’s wine industry. The region quickly made a name for itself with its whites, in particular Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, as well the cool-climate pinot noir. Despite being located closer to the equator than any European vineyard, the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean has a tremendous impact; the climate is similar to that of Sonoma or Napa in the United States, with cool misty nights and hot days providing ideal growing conditions. Wineries are open year-round.</p>
<p>The valley takes its name from the commune of Casablanca and rests just 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Valparaíso, one of Chile’s most historic and eclectic cities, filled with brightly-coloured buildings, cafés and spectacular ocean views.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Chilean Wine

Dolomites

<h5><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-23502 size-medium" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/398px-Vernatsch_THWZ_edit-213x320.jpg" alt="Trentino-Alto Adige Wine" width="213" height="320" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/398px-Vernatsch_THWZ_edit-213x320.jpg 213w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/398px-Vernatsch_THWZ_edit.jpg 398w" sizes="(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px" />Reds</h5>
<p>The most common red varietals are Vernatsch, also called Schiava (the grape in a St. Magdalener), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein, Merlot and Pinot noir (try the Höfsatter). Seventy percent of the wine is red and 30% is white—though many argue that the land produces better whites than reds and should therefore try to move to at least a 50-50 ratio.</p>
<h5>Whites</h5>
<p>The Chardonnay is becoming the most popular, not necessarily because it is better than the others, but because the name sells. The local Pinot Grigio is fantastic, and the area also does well with the German varietals such as Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau (a hybrid of Riesling and a Sylvaner cousin that found its first home outside Switzerland right here). It’s no wonder this region is often compared to Alsace, for both its winemaking and its similar cross-cultural history.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Trentino-Alto Adige Wine

<p><strong>Marsala</strong><br />
A vino liquoroso made near the eponymous town from vintner’s choice of white catarratto, grillo, inzolia and camaschino, and red perricone, Nero d’Avola, nerello mascalese varietals (whew!), with the possibility of adding grape ethyl alcohol and cooked grape must.</p>
<p><strong>Zibbibo (Moscato di Alessandria)</strong><br />
This intensely aromatic and sweet wine is cultivated only on the island of Pantelleria to make Moscato di Pantelleria DOC, and can be vinified as an unusual dry white (an intriguing aperitif wine) or, most frequently, as a honey-golden, deliciously concentrated passito when left to dry on the vine. Dried apricots, dates, figs, or jammy tastes prevail, and at its best this is a dessert in itself!</p>


<span>Vines 102:</span><br> Sicily Wine Continued 

<h2><span style="color: #ff0000;">Red</span> Sicilian Wine &amp; Varietals</h2>
<figure id="attachment_18276" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18276" style="width: 142px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://www.antichivinai.it/eng/" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-18276" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/petra-rosso.jpg" alt="Sicilian Wine " width="142" height="530" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-18276" class="wp-caption-text">Antichi Vinai, a producer to watch in Etna.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Etna DOC</strong><br />
Whether red, white or rosé, you know it comes from the lava slopes of eastern Sicily’s great volcano. The white is made from carricante, catarratto bianco, trebbiano and mannella Bianca; the red and rosé from nerello mascalese, nerello mantellato and nerello cappuccio. Producers to watch include Antichi Vinai, Emanuele Scammacca del Murgo, Tenuta Scillo di Valle Galfina and Barone di Villagrande.</p>
<p><strong>Nerello Mascalese</strong><br />
This grape, the most typical varietal of Etna, is named for winemakers from the Mascali plain (squeezed between the volcano and the sea), who increased its cultivation. Often blended with Nerello Cappuccio or other grapes, it brings an intense violet nose and full, warm and dry flavour to the mix.</p>
<p><strong>Frappato di Vittoria</strong><br />
An autochthonous red grape named for the southeastern town of Vittoria, frappato is blended with Nero d’Avola (and sometimes Grosso Nero and Nerello Mascalese) grapes to make Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOC. Intensely red with hints of violet, its flavour recalls cherries. Producers to watch: Avide, Fatascià, Feudo di Santa Teresa, Poggio di Bortolone.</p>
<p><strong>Nerello Cappuccio or Mantellato</strong><br />
Also called Mantiddatu Niuru, this grape from the Etna region is so named (“cloaked”) for its planting style. It is most often vinified with Nerello Mascalese, its less-intense flavour, fruity notes and very gentle tannins smoothing out the blend.</p>
<p><strong>Nero d’Avola</strong><br />
Named for the south-eastern town of Avola, this deep red grape used to be called Calabrese (from the Sicilian calavrisi, meaning “grape from Avola”) and is one of Sicily’s most important varietals.  Its wines are well-structured for aging, with a deep cherry-red colour and a rich earthy nose with spice, mineral salts, and prominent red fruits. Vinified in steel tanks, it can make a fresh, fruity red when drunk young, while aging can bring it to its full potential of a harmonious, balanced, warm and dry wine worthy of great meals.</p>
<h4>Still Thirsty?</h4>
<p>Sicily&#8217;s vines yield more wine than one blog post can contain. <a title="Vines 102: Sicily Wine Continued " href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2014/06/04/vines-102-sicily-wine/" target="_blank"><strong>Check out our round up of the island&#8217;s whites and varietals in Vines 102.</strong></a></p>


<SPAN>Vines 101:</span><br> Sicilian Wine

Ireland

<h4><a title="Vanishing Ireland" href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Vanishing Ireland: Recollections of Our Changing Times</strong></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16602" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_-256x320.jpg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="154" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_-256x320.jpg 256w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_.jpg 260w" sizes="(max-width: 154px) 100vw, 154px" /></a></h4>
<p><strong>By James Fennell and Turtle Bunbury</strong></p>
<p>An amazing collection of stories and characters from the real Ireland. The book includes chapters about some of the Gilies, a family we know from Delphi Lodge as well as a few farmers we meet on our trips!</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a></p>
<hr />
<h4><a title="The Aran Islands" href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Aran Islands </strong></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16603" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi-200x320.jpeg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="120" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi-200x320.jpeg 200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi.jpeg 250w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /></a></h4>
<p><strong>By J.M. Synge, Introduction by Tim Robinson</strong></p>
<p>A much loved turn-of-the-century account of the islands (as contrasted with mainland Ireland), drenched in the Celtic soul of the Irish.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><a title="Angela's Ashes " href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Angela’s Ashes</strong></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16604" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book-200x320.jpg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="120" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book-200x320.jpg 200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book.jpg 314w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /></a></h4>
<p><strong>By Frank McCourt</strong></p>
<p>The Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir of an Irish childhood spent in abject poverty in the slums of Limerick, told with enormous wit, grace and skill.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a></p>


<span>Reading for the Road:</span> <br>Our 5 Favourite Books <br>About Ireland

Wine Regions

Champagne

<h2>Famous Names of Champagne</h2>
<h5>The Côtes des Blancs</h5>
<p>Every one of the <em>Tête de Cuvées</em> (e.g. Dom Pérignon, Cristal, Signature, Grande Dame) hails from this region, which exclusively plants Chardonnay grapes. The two principal towns are Avize and Cramant, with Le Mesnil sur Oger and Cuis rounding out the slope.</p>
<h5>L&#8217;Abbaye d&#8217;Hautvillers</h5>
<p>This is the abbey where the famous Dom Pérignon (1638–1715) himself lived and worked; it was here that he perfected the methods now used to make Champagne. These techniques include the riddling process, which brings the sediment out of the bottle (giving us that clear, brilliant colour), doing away with oil-soaked clothes and introducing corks to seal the bottles. Dom Pérignon was the first to see the benefits of the all-important blending process. It was said that his sense of smell and taste were so highly developed, he could taste the grapes coming in and tell which vineyard they came from!</p>
<figure id="attachment_12879" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12879" style="width: 206px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-12879 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Selosse-¬petronio121-258x320.jpg" alt="Anselme Selosse" width="206" height="256" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Selosse-¬petronio121-258x320.jpg 258w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Selosse-¬petronio121.jpg 567w" sizes="(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-12879" class="wp-caption-text">Anselme Selosse</figcaption></figure>
<h5>Anselme Selosse</h5>
<p>He’s known, of course, in Champagne, but he’s gained notoriety outside of his domain as a pioneer, both for the different techniques he uses and the <a title="Les Avisés" href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/07/02/at-les-avises-modernity-meets-tradition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">philosophy he practices.</a> He was, to give just one example, the first to use oak barrels to magnify his wines. But first and foremost, he’s known as the first to think <em>terroir</em> in a region that wasn’t too sensitive to it. Of course, the notion of Grand Crus and so on exists here, but no one before him went as far in the concept. An example? Out of six small parcels he created a unique collection of wines, each named and vinified differently.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Champagne

<h5>Not-so Bordeaux wine: Bergerac and Cahors</h5>
<p>Just east of Bordeaux lie two wine appellations in the Dordogne, Bergerac and Cahors. Bergerac produces both red and white wines. The best reds are the Pécharmants, which are full-bodied, dense wines from vineyards to the northeast, while the white Bergerac secs are simple but pleasant, especially as apéritifs. Just south of Bergerac you&#8217;ll find Monbazillac, whose vintners produce a fine, sweet white wine that pairs excellently with foie gras or dessert. All are relatively inexpensive.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Cahors and Bergerac remain overshadowed by the reputation and volume of Bordeaux.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Cahors, about 70 kilometres south of Sarlat, received its appellation status in 1971. The principal grape is malbec, or cot, which produces a rather inky, often rustic red wine. Merlot is blended to soften the wine, as is done in Bordeaux with Cabernet. A few very fine wines do exist in Cahors, and the potential exists for more, but in the world’s wine markets, Cahors and Bergerac remain overshadowed by the reputation and volume of Bordeaux.</p>


<span>Vines 102:</span><br> Bordeaux Wine Continued

<h5>The Art of Blending</h5>
<p>The most copied and perhaps the most mysterious element of winemaking in Bordeaux is the practice (or art) of blending. <img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-13151" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Wine_barrels-320x212.jpg" alt="Wine barrels" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Wine_barrels-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Wine_barrels-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Wine_barrels.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" />Each variety, or <em>cépage</em>, has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as its own distinct character. These differences can complement each other when wines are skilfully blended, making a whole that is better than the sum of its parts… especially considering that the quality of the various cépages will vary according to the weather conditions during the growing season. Blending is thus a major contributor to the stable quality of Bordeaux wines: the blend can be changed each year to take advantage of the conditions of that vintage.</p>
<p>A typical red Bordeaux blend will be dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, for its structure, finesse, aromatic complexity and ability to age, and Merlot, for its full, rich and friendly character.</p>
<p>There are six red grape varieties in Bordeaux. Normally, the softer merlot is the first picked, followed by the cabernet franc, the cabernet sauvignon and then the petit verdot. Traditional Malbec and the lesser-known Carmenère are getting more and more difficult to find. White varieties include Sauvignon Blanc for freshness and aromatics, Semillon for richness and body, and smaller quantities of Muscadelle, also used to provide aromatic complexity.</p>
<h2>Still Thirsty?</h2>
<p>Some wine regions, like some crus, are simply too grand for a single blog post. We continue our exploration or Bordeaux wine in <a title="Vines 102" href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/09/11/vines-102-bordeaux-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Vines 102: Bordeaux</strong></a>, where we examine Bordeaux&#8217;s most renowned wines, along with appellations from the neighbouring Dordogne.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Bordeaux Wine

Regional Delicacies

<p>It&#8217;s zesty and zingy, tart and with pizazz. Can it only be drank when young? No, although most often it is. Light and spritzy (<em>spritzig</em> in Austrian dialect) when young, if aged properly a full-bodied <em>Spätlese</em> can easily age for more than a decade, during which it mellows and grows rich in texture. And what dish is it best paired with? Aha! This is where Gruner Veltliner is in a category of its own. Peppery Grüners can take on a steak and generous earthy ones love seafood. There isn’t a vegetable that doesn’t dream of being washed down by a mouthful of Gruner, including normally cantankerous artichokes and grilled asparagus.</p>
<p>As any aspirant to any throne can tell you, with praise there will also come criticism. “I can’t read the damn labels.” Ignore them. Austria’s wine classification system is famously antiquated. “Can anything that cheap even be good? Yes, try it. “It has a screw top.” This means you can open a new bottle incredibly quickly when the old one is empty. Total bonus. “But I have Austrian neighbours who use Grüner to make spritzers.” Chances are these same neighbours also frequent nudist beaches. Austrians are crazy like that. “Why did they have to add that annoying ‘Veltliner’ bit”? We don’t know. Consider it optional. Gruner will do.</p>
<p>“Does this mean that Gruner is a delightful, refreshing, versatile and sensibly priced white wine that comes in an elegant bottle?”</p>
<p><em>Jawohl</em>.</p>


<span>Gruner Veltliner:</span><br> Crown Prince of Austrian Wine

Loire Valley

<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2GQ6knE" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14349" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN43-189x320.jpg" alt="books about loire valley" width="113" height="192" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2GQ6knE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eyewitness Guide Loire Valley</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>Eyewitness Guides</strong></p>
<p>Visually rich, comprehensive, and practical, this guidebook is an excellent introduction to the history, culture and attractions of the Loire Valley. Highly recommended.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2GQ6knE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2CO8RMG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14350" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN484.jpg" alt="books about loire valley" width="112" height="173" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2CO8RMG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chocolat</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Joanne Harris</strong></p>
<p>This charming novel set in the Loire Valley pits provincial morals against pleasure. Adapted into a popular movie.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2CO8RMG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2Fa98i5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14351" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FRN33.jpg" alt="books about loire valley" width="110" height="164" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2Fa98i5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun King</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Nancy Mitford</strong></p>
<p>An opulent, celebrated biography of Louis XIV. Gracefully written in a witty, conversational style, Mitford&#8217;s book brings Versailles to vibrant life.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2Fa98i5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>


<span>Reading for the Road: </span><br>Books About Loire Valley

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

<h5>Riesling</h5>
<p><strong>Elegant aroma, racy with fine nuances</strong><br />
The noble riesling is grown in many of Austria’s top vineyards, mainly in the Wachau, but also in the Kamptal. Some of the world’s best riesling wines are from these areas. The riesling exudes a rather charming bouquet that hints of peaches, apricots and citrus fruit. Its acidity contributes to a racy wine with generous length. Because it develops well, the riesling is ideal for aging; the rare Spätlese and Auslese, and the “smaragd” wines of the Wachau, are prime examples.</p>
<h5>(Blauer) Zweigelt</h5>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Cherry notes, smooth and velvety</strong><br />
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14616" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Zweigelt_cropped_sized.jpg" alt="Zweigelt, an Austrian Wine" width="625" height="207" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Zweigelt_cropped_sized.jpg 625w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Zweigelt_cropped_sized-320x105.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" />This grape takes its name from Professor Zweigelt, who successfully crossed the blaufränkisch with the St. Laurent. His result, the Zweigelt, produces a wine with a bouquet that is distinctively fruity when young, and more delicate and harmonious when mature. Its spectrum is vast; from a light table wine enjoyed young, to a full-bodied wine lovingly aged. Because the sturdy Zweigelt vine produces excellent results throughout Austria’s red wine areas, the variety is seen as the hope of the country’s red wine production.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Austrian Wine from the Wachau Region

Amalfi Coast

<h3><strong><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-14505 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL560.jpg" alt="Pompeii, a novel" width="200" height="316" /></strong><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2FjfBrY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pompeii, A Novel</a></strong></h3>
<p><strong>By Robert Harris</strong></p>
<p>In this fast-paced historical novel set in Pompeii, a young engineer sets out to repair the Roman aqueducts and discovers the imminent eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Full of suspense and period detail.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2FjfBrY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h3><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-14507 size-full alignleft" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL182.jpg" alt="Travelers' Tales Italy" width="200" height="318" /><a href="http://amzn.to/2G2Kq18" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Travelers&#8217; Tales Italy</strong> </a></h3>
<p><strong>By Ann Calcagno &amp; Jan Morris</strong></p>
<p>A collection of 48 stories on travelling in Italy and Italian life, featuring the writing of Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Frances Mayes, Jonathan Keats, Stanley Crouch and others.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2G2Kq18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h3><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-14512 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL143.jpg" alt="The Volcano Lover" width="200" height="307" /><a href="http://amzn.to/2oRcltw" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Volcano Lover, A Romance</strong> </a></h3>
<p><strong>By Susan Sontag</strong></p>
<p>A steamy and evocative historical novel by social critic Sontag, set in 18th-century Naples. The sweeping story focuses on the British Ambassador to the King in Naples, his passionate and notorious love, and her infatuation with Lord Nelson.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2oRcltw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>


<span>Reading for the Road: </span><br>Books About the Amalfi Coast

Puglia

<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2Daae8r" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14538" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL534.jpg" alt="Books About Puglia" width="120" height="189" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2Daae8r" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Casa Rossa</strong> </a></h4>
<p><strong>By Francesca Marciano</strong></p>
<p>A vivid novel following the lives of a mother, daughter, and granddaughter from Puglia over the course of the 20th century, opening as the narrator prepares to sell Casa Rossa, the family farm.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2Daae8r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2txojh1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14539" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL09.jpg" alt="Books About Puglia" width="120" height="181" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2txojh1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christ Stopped at Eboli, The Story of a Year</a></strong></h4>
<p><strong>By Carlo Levi &amp; Frances Frenaye</strong></p>
<p>An affecting memoir of southern Italy, originally published in 1947, it stems from the author&#8217;s forced relocation to the region as punishment for anti-fascist political activity.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2txojh1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>
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<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2D7f8Dm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-14541" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITL718.jpg" alt="Books About Puglia" width="120" height="180" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2D7f8Dm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind </a></h4>
<p><strong>By Beppe Severgini</strong></p>
<p>Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia.</p>
<p><a href="http://amzn.to/2D7f8Dm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a></p>


<span>Reading for the Road: </span><br>Books About Puglia

Beverages

<h4>Valpolicella</h4>
<p>The other great wine area in Veneto is the Valpolicella. Its name comes from the Latin <em>Vallis-polis-cellae,</em> literally meaning &#8220;valley with many cellars&#8221;—not a bad name for a wine-producing area.</p>
<p>Located in the square formed by Lake Garda on its west, Verona on the east, the Lessinian mountains on the north and the Adige river to the south, its microclimate, which also impacts the olive oil produced in the area, fostered the growth of local grapes such as Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The blending of these autochthon grapes, grown in different terroirs, allows for a great diversity in taste.</p>
<figure id="attachment_13375" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13375" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/07/30/vines-101-veneto-wine/corvina_veronese_igt_veneto/" rel="attachment wp-att-13375"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-13375 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corvina_veronese_IGT_Veneto-320x212.jpg" alt="Veneto Wine" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corvina_veronese_IGT_Veneto-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corvina_veronese_IGT_Veneto-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Corvina_veronese_IGT_Veneto.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13375" class="wp-caption-text">Some producers ignore the DOC and forgo its designation, such is their regard for the Corvina.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Valpolicella once suffered from the same mass production problems as Soave. However, as with Soave, some efforts have been made to produce a truly distinctive product. One of these products is the Valpolicella Classico. Easily recognized by a lively cherry-like colour and flavour, the Valpolicella Classico is strictly limited to the areas around Fumane, San Ambrogio and Negrar (a footstep north of the Villa del Quar). Vines take root in white pebbled terraces and are vertically trained to allow for a more intense flavour in every grape.</p>
<p>But the shining star of the area is the Corvina, a late-ripening grape, which can make up to 70 percent of the Valpolicella. Though the DOC law imposes a ceiling on the use of the Corvina grape, some producers choose to ignore the ceiling and thus renounce the DOC appellation, so great is their regard for the Corvina.</p>
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<span>Vines 101:</span><br> Veneto Wine 

<h2>Grand Cru and Premier Cru</h2>
<p>In addition to the AOC, which regulates a wine&#8217;s production, a classification system exists to rate each vineyard according to the quality of grapes it produces. <a title="Wine Searcher" href="http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-label-france.lml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wine-Searcher.com</a> describes the two top classifications as follows:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-13245" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Grand-and-Premier-Cru-320x212.jpg" alt="French Wine Classification" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Grand-and-Premier-Cru-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Grand-and-Premier-Cru-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Grand-and-Premier-Cru.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></p>
<h5>Grand Cru</h5>
<p>&#8220;The very highest classification of French wine. The term can refer to a wine in one of two ways, either a) the plot of land where the grapes are grown or b) the chateau at which the wine is made. The former applies most famously in Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne (but is also used in Languedoc and the Loire Valley). The latter is exclusive to Bordeaux.&#8221;</p>
<h5>Premier Cru</h5>
<p>&#8220;Premier Cru denotes either 1) a vineyard plot (most often in Burgundy) of superior quality, or 2) the very highest tier <em>within</em> a Grand Cru classification (such as the &#8216;Premier Grand Cru Classé&#8217; chateaux of Bordeaux).&#8221;</p>


<span>French Wine Class:</span> <br>Understanding the AOC and Cru Classifications

<h2>A Few to Try</h2>
<h4>Red Wines</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/04/25/vines-101-loire-valley/chinon_wine_bottle_cork_/" rel="attachment wp-att-10019"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-10019 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chinon_wine_bottle_cork_-320x212.jpg" alt="Loire Valley wine" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chinon_wine_bottle_cork_-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chinon_wine_bottle_cork_-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chinon_wine_bottle_cork_.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></a><strong>Chinon</strong><br />
When it comes to Loire Valley wine, some believe Chinon makes the best reds. Chinon rosés and whites are also becoming popular. The red Chinon is made from cabernet franc (a Bordeaux area grape), known locally as “Breton” because it came to this area via Brittany. It is characterized by its ruby colour and a perfume of violets.</p>
<p><strong>Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil</strong><br />
These wines are made as they are in Chinon, using both the cabernet franc and the cabernet sauvignon grapes.</p>
<p><strong>Saumur-Champigny</strong><br />
From the cabernet franc and sauvignon grapes comes this rich, firm, tannic wine, with all the aromas of a cabernet franc.</p>
<h4>White Wines</h4>
<p><strong>Vouvray</strong><br />
A white wine derived from the chenin grape variety, Vouvray has three forms: still; <em>pétillant</em> (slightly effervescent); and <em>mousseux</em> (sparkling).</p>
<p><strong>Muscadet</strong><br />
Popular and well-known, this light, refreshing wine produced in the western Loire is great to drink icy cold as an apéritif or with seafood.</p>
<p><strong>Côteaux de Layon</strong><br />
This sweet wine from south of Angers pairs well with dessert or foie gras.</p>


<span>Vines 101:</span><br> An Introduction to<br> Loire Valley Wine

Hotels

See + Do

Vineyards

<h2>A Well Kept Secret</h2>
<p>The wines of the Matetic Estate (and the ambition of its owners) are symbolic of the revolution that has propelled Chilean wines up from the bottom shelves of wine stores. Confident in the valley’s microclimate (characterized by high temperature fluctuations and well-drained clay soil) the Matetic family built a state-of-the-art winery in 2004, which today produces 14,000 cases a year. There is a first and second label, EQ and Coralillo. Together they encompass a production of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a Merlot-Malbec Blend and Syrah. The Matetic Estate became certified organic in 2004.</p>
<figure id="attachment_9226" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9226" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-9226 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/restaurant1-320x212.jpg" alt="Equilibrio, Chilie Restaurants, Matetic Vineyards" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/restaurant1-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/restaurant1-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/restaurant1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-9226" class="wp-caption-text">The estate&#8217;s new gourmet restaurant, Equilibrio.</figcaption></figure>
<p>To the oblivious motorist passing by the towering eucalyptus trees and copses of pine that dot the undulating landscape, most of this is a well kept secret. Occasionally a herd of sheep can be seen grazing. A weathered wooden arch marks the entrance to the estate, through which a dirt road pocked with a pothole finish leads into the valley. It is only around the first bend that simplicity gives way to splendour.</p>
<p>To the left, a century-old colonial hacienda transformed into a seven-room luxury boutique hotel sits in the shade of towering old-growth trees. A short walk away is the café cum delicatessen boutique that sells cheese, cured meats and of course, wine. Across the manicured lawn and accessible only by bridge lays the new gourmet restaurant, <a title="Equilibrio" href="http://www.matetic.cl/casona/restaurant.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equilibrio</a>. Beckoning from a ridge at the far end of the valley is the winery, housing a grandiose barrel cellar and unusual tasting rooms complete with waterfalls.</p>
<h2>Something for Everyone</h2>
<figure id="attachment_9655" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9655" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-9655 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/patio-320x212.jpg" alt="Matetic Estate, Chilie" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/patio-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/patio-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/patio.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-9655" class="wp-caption-text">Savour the sun&#8217;s last rays on the terracotta-tiled patio.</figcaption></figure>
<p>You don’t have to be an oenophile to love this place. With horseback riding, an extensive network of cycling and trekking paths and cheese-making classes to complement a full gamut of wine-related activities, there’s something for everyone. And in the evening, when the sun’s last rays add yet more spice and rotundity to your glass of Syrah, there are always the relaxing chairs on the hacienda’s terracotta tiled terrace. What better place (and companion) from which to ponder this unique and delightful spot?</p>


<span>Matetic Estate:</span><br> An Unlikely Journey

<h5>Castiglione Falletto</h5>
<p>This little town produces about 10 per cent of all Barolo wine, and was the birthplace of the first Barolo cooperative in 1958, now “Terre del Barolo.” Its tall-towered castle, built on 11th-century foundations, belonged to the Marquis of Saluzzo before being purchased by the Falletti family, who enlarged it in the 19th century. It now belongs to the Count Vassallo of Dogliani, and is closed to the public. (How&#8217;s this for an endorsement: Julius Caesar drank Barolo wine from La Morra and liked it enough to mention it in his memoirs.)</p>
<h5>Annunziata</h5>
<p>The village of Annunziata is located in the centre of the Barolo production area. Renato Ratti (the first to map the area that produces Barolo wine) built a wine museum in the village abbey, documenting the region’s century-long history of winemaking. The museum is open by appointment only. The iconic cedro, a Lebanon cedar topping Annunziata’s hill, was planted in 1856 by the Falletti family.</p>
<figure id="attachment_9066" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9066" style="width: 274px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-9066 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Copy-of-Maryatasting.jpg" alt="Barolo" width="274" height="195" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-9066" class="wp-caption-text">I learned firsthand that you don’t sip a Barolo; you savour it.</figcaption></figure>
<h5>Novello</h5>
<p>Novae Villae was founded in Roman times by Alba nobles looking for a site to build their villas. Today, an ancient castle occupies the centre of this little town overlooking the Tanaro river valley, along with the Baroque Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Novello is also home to the famed winemaker Elvio Cogno.</p>
<h5>La Morra</h5>
<p>Julius Caesar drank Barolo wine from La Morra and liked it enough to mention it in his memoirs. The vineyards surrounding La Morra are among the area&#8217;s best, and today account for about a quarter of the region’s total wine production. The name La Morra likely derives from murra, or walled-in space. La Morra boasts a medieval layout and a 17th-century Baroque church, San Martin, named for the patron saint of vintners. From the belvedere of the church one can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding vineyards. Notice the colourful chapel on the Brunate ridge. It used to be repainted every year by American artist Sol LeWitt, in exchange for some of Cerretto’s finest wines.</p>


<span>Barolo:</span><br> The King of Wines 

<h2>White Piemonte Wine</h2>
<h3>Asti (spumante)</h3>
<p>The province of Asti produces one of the world’s most famous Moscato wines, made sparkling with the Charmat (tank) method. Registered as a DOCG since 1993, the wine’s reputation has waxed and waned over the years, but at its best, this sparkler is memorably full of ripe fruit and is incomparably refreshing.</p>
<h3>Moscato d’Asti</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2012/05/02/how-to-taste-wine/winxe_gallery_4/" rel="attachment wp-att-8942"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-8942" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WINXE_Gallery_4-320x212.jpg" alt="Piemonte Wines" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WINXE_Gallery_4-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WINXE_Gallery_4-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WINXE_Gallery_4.jpg 425w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></a>Usually served in a white wine glass, Moscato d’Asti is made from the same varietal as Asti Spumante. Carefully produced in smaller quantities, it is also less sparkling than Asti Spumante and is best consumed fresh.</p>
<h3>Roero Arneis</h3>
<p>The Roero hills to the south of the Tanaro River are known for this white wine, whose name likely means “rascal.” The Arneis is an elegant white wine with ageing potential, straw-yellow with occasional green tones, and dry with pear, apple or apricot notes. In recognition of its increasing quality, the appellation was awarded an upgrade from DOC to DOCG status in 2006.</p>
<h3>Gavi</h3>
<p>Produced in the Apennine hills around the eponymous town, Gavi is made from the Cortese grape and is pale straw-yellow, crisp and dry, light-bodied and more mineral than fruity, with a fine perfume.</p>
<h3>Favorita</h3>
<p>Both a wine grape and table grape, this varietal is sometimes called furmentìn and is grown in both the Roero and Langhe hills. Recent DNA evidence shows it may be the same grape as Vermentino. This Piemonte wine is straw-yellow with fruity and herbal notes, and at its best is full, dry and harmonious.</p>


Culture & Lifestyle

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