Talking Tasmanian Wines with Jeremy Dineen

Debra discusses the many guises of Tasmanian Pinot Noir with Jeremy Dineen of Josef Chromy. They discuss the attributes that define distinctly Tassie Pinot, be it the wild red fruit characters or firm acidity. Also, since it can’t all be fun and games, they get into what the biggest challenges of growing grapes in a marginal region are.

Debra Meiburg MW Meets the Winemaker 121: Sharona and Daron Belogolovsky, Vitkin Winery

Debra meets husband and wife team Sharona and Daron Belogolovsky from Vitkin Winery in Israel. They explain that it is a family owned winery – Sharona’s brother is oenologist, Daron is the winemaker, and Sharona manages the two of them! Debra and the Belogolovsky’s discuss the different grape varieties they use at Vitkin, including “Carignan”, a grape variety brought to Israel in the 19th century by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, along with the new varieties that thrive in the hot Israeli climate.

Sharona explains to Debra the difficulty winemakers in Israel face when it comes to land, and how due to government regulations, they can only hold a farm of 3 hectares in the area they live, which forces they to seek other plots elsewhere in the country as well. Daron describes the Carignan grape variety to Debra as well as telling her what he likes second best about the job of winemaker (first is, of course, drinking the wine!).

Debra Meiburg MW Meets the Winemaker 119: Herta Peju, Peju Winery

Debra catches up with Herta Peju of Peju Winery, a family winery located in Rutherford in the middle of the Napa Valley. They talk about the secret to being a good winemaker, which Herta says comes down to having a good palate. Debra asks for Herta’s tips on developing tasting skills, as well as how Herta developed her palate, given she was not from a winemaking or tasting background when she and her husband Tony bought their winery in 1982.

Debra asks Herta about Rutherford, which is a historic and highly regarded region in Napa Valley. Herta goes on to describe how fantastic their grapes really are, even going as far as to say the grapes are so good, you don’t even have to be very talented to make good wine, much to Debra’s amusement! Finally she offers an insight on what to expect from Peju’s wines.