Videos
Meet the Winemaker (Episode 79): Camille Seghesio, Seghesio Family
Back in 1895, Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vines. Today, Seghesio Family Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries in the Sonoma Valley with 400 acres of vineyards located in Alexander Valley and Dry Creek.
Zinfandel is one of the most popular grape varietals in California since it can be drunk young and is food friendly. However, it is notoriously difficult to grow with grapes that ripen at different speeds producing a range of different flavours from lean and green wines to overripe port / amaroni ones.
Camille Seghesio reveals that her family focus on capturing the perfect ripe balance of the grape with its blackberry, blueberry, cherry and spice flavours. Good quality control is ensured thanks to handpicking the grapes and thinning the vines. Their award-winning Zinfandel is the result of this delicate process and evidence of their dedication to the family business and pride in honouring their grandfather’s vision.
( 0 Comments ) - Leave a CommentMeet the Winemaker (Episode 78): Joao Ferreira Alvares Ribeiro, Quinta do Vallado
Set in the heart of Portugal’s most famous wine region, the Douro, is Quinta do Vallado. Established in 1716, the winery, has been in the Ferreira family for six generations. In 1993, the family embarked on the production and marketing of own- label wines and a restructuring of the vineyards. New vines were planted in clearly defined areas, breaking with the tradition of mixing different varieties in the same vineyard.
Comprising over 70 hectares, Quinta Do Vallado is a unique mix of old and new with 50 hectares of vines aged 6-15 years and 20 hectares with vines of more than 80 years old. Today, Quinta Do Vallado is a highly acclaimed vineyard renowned for its quality production. The vineyard produces more than 40 grape varieties with predominant ones being Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz, Barroca and Touriga Franca.
Owner João Ferreira Álvares Ribeiro explains that their success has been both a surprise and a motivation to produce better and better wine.
( 2 Comments ) - Leave a CommentMeet the Winemaker (Episode 77): Assaf Paz, Binyamina
Assaf Paz of Binyamina Winery in the coastal plains of North Israel, explains that having originally been established in 1952, the winery has a long history of winemaking. Having passed hands several times, resources have recently been poured into the winery, making it the success it is today – the fourth largest in Israel producing around 2.8 million bottles every year under four different labels. Today, the winery’s vineyards are spread throughout the country, allowing them to produce a great variety of different wines.
Having trained in France, California and Australia, Paz, is no stranger to winemaking. He explains that the winery invests heavily in making sure the best grapes from the best vineyards go into its wines. They work very closely with the farmers and take a hands-on approach to vinification – as much as possible for kosher winemakers. Paz points out that it is this close relationship with the farmers and the love of winemaking that allows Binyamina to produce such a wide range of quality wines and to continue to diversify and grow.
( 0 Comments ) - Leave a CommentMeet the Winemaker (Episode 76): David Ventura, Ventura
As a boy growing up in France, David Ventura could not have imagined where watching his grandfather make wine would take him… Years later, his dream was to start a family boutique winery in Israel, in keeping with French winemaking standards. Today, located in the Judean Hills in Israel, Domaine Ventura produces around 4,000 bottles of high quality Bordeaux style wines every year.
Being 900 meters above sea level with stony soil and great weather, the Ventura vineyards benefit from the ideal location and conditions for producing good quality grapes. Influenced by the French style of winemaking and by Bordeaux, Ventura wines are aged in old French oak barrels, which give them their unique flavour and aroma. Ventura confesses that his business really is about the love of the wine and despite the hard work, which includes picking grapes by hand, it is clearly something he is deeply passionate about.
( 2 Comments ) - Leave a CommentMeet the Winemaker (Episode 75): Johann Krige, Kanonkop
Nestled in the slopes of the Simonsberg mountains in Stellenbosch, South Africa, is Kanonkop Winery. The winery is a fourth generation family business started by Johann Krige’s great grandfather.
While Stellenbosch is known as the leading red wine region of South Africa, the region is extremely diverse with different soils and microclimates. The higher slopes are said to be better suited to the production of white wines and the lower slopes to red wines.
Johann Krige explains that in the past, Kanonkop produced a great range of wines but that today they focus on red wines since the microclimate of their location lends itself better to these. Their wines of choice are Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage, a South African wine which Johann describes as similar to Pinot Noir but with earthy and farmyard tones.
What makes Kanonkop’s award-winning wines uniquely South African? According to Johann Krige, it’s the taste of the sun in the smoky, warmer feel they give off.
( 0 Comments ) - Leave a CommentMeet the Winemaker (Episode 74): Kobus du Toit, Waverly Hills
Set in the beautiful countryside in the foothills of South Africa’s Witzenberg Mountain Range is Waverly Hills Vineyards. The vineyards and olive groves, which total 30 hectares, are run and owned by the Du Toit family with over 40 years of experience in the business of winemaking.
Named as 2011 ‘Best of Wine Tourism winner for Sustainability’, Waverly Hills has a unique green approach to winemaking. They produce a range of smooth organic wines with soft ripe tannins accented by the robust aromatics of the fynbos, the indigenous flora.
Organic farming, explains director and owner, Kobus du Toit, requires a great deal of extra effort and cost but the family is dedicated to preserving the land for generations to come. This means dealing with natural predators, introduced to combat unfriendly insects and pests rather than conventional pesticides or fertilizers. At Waverly Hills you will find a family of wild ducks roaming among the vines eating the snails and grape-thieving baboons roaming the vineyards – only in South Africa!
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