Stina winery; visiting a Croatian island vineyard

Oct 06, 20 Stina winery; visiting a Croatian island vineyard

Posted by in All, Croatia, Travel

I’ve visited many vineyards in northern Croatia over the years (read about Istrian winemakers here and here) but Stina winery was the first one in the south, off the coast of Dalmatia. Stina is located on the island of Brac, about a 50 minute ferry ride from Split. Brac Harbour I sell Stina’s white Cuvee in Dalston so I...

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Why Not Red Misket

Jul 21, 20 Why Not Red Misket

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I’m always on the lookout for wines from relatively unknown regions or varieties that have almost been forgotten. Red Misket is one of those grapes. It comes from Bulgaria and is enjoying a bit of a revival from two young Bulgarian winemakers. The Winemakers Petar Georgiev and Radostin Milkov have worked around the world; in...

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El Marciano from Alfredo Maestro

Jun 04, 20 El Marciano from Alfredo Maestro

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I met Alfredo right before all wine trade events, and everything else, was cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown, at a new wave Spanish winetasting here in London. What drew my eye to Alfredo’s stand was one bottle in particular, El Marciano. Now Alfredo himself is quite a character, very passionate about his wines and an...

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Pet-Nat, an Extra Brut Bulgarian Riesling

May 14, 20 Pet-Nat, an Extra Brut Bulgarian Riesling

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A few years ago, I started to hear the phrase ‘Pet-Nats’ making the rounds in the wine trade. As we have loads of natural wines here in London, I soon found out that Pet-Nat is short for ‘petillant natural’, a French term for wines that are naturally sparkling. It’s also known as the Ancestral Method....

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From Czech Rep., The Kosmonaut rose

May 08, 20 From Czech Rep., The Kosmonaut rose

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I was introduced to Sklep 58’s, The Kosmonaut rosé, by one of my wine suppliers, Viliam of Pandemonium Wines. Viliam specializes in wines from the Czech Rep. and Slovakia – he should, as he’s originally from Slovakia but spent 12 years in Prague. He started importing these wines because he wanted to spread the...

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Bruchicello Cataratto – Summer white

May 05, 20 Bruchicello Cataratto – Summer white

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Cataratto is often produced in bulk and sold as a cheap Italian white wine. Cataratto means ‘abundance’ in the local dialect, which is probably why it is known as a cheap and cheerful white. But when it is produced by small family run vineyards with the utmost attention, as the Bruchicello Cataratto is, it can be a...

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