Peter Wearing, Author at The Small Winemakers Collection

Organic and Biodynamic Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment January 13, 2023April 6, 2016

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest and most important wine appellation in the southern Rhône. It is home to more than 3,200 hectares of vineyards and over 80 growers; more wine is produced in Châteauneuf than the whole of the northern Rhône put together. The vineyards are bounded to the west by the Rhône river and to the east by the A7 autoroute. Châteauneuf-du-Pape was the first ever Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée established in France, in 1932. Small, rounded rocks from the …

South American Sauvignon Blanc to Toast Spring

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment December 14, 2022March 23, 2016

The story of Casa Marin begins with its founder, owner and chief winemaker Maria Luz Marin’s dream – to produce top quality, world class wines. In 2000, against the advice of friends and colleagues she decided to establish her winery in Lo Abarca, a sleepy little town in the San Antonio Valley west of Santiago. Despite warnings about problems with the chosen location, she has been successful in creating a winery whose bottlings have been praised throughout the world and …

The Best Red Wines for the Summer

Peter Wearing Featured, Tasting Tips Leave a comment April 1, 2021March 21, 2016

With so many health benefits to red wine, it makes sense to enjoy them throughout the year. When the mercury climbs above 30 degrees, you may be tempted to reach for a light rose or white wine, but a true lover of pinot noir, merlot or fine cabernet sauvignon will stay true to their love and passion of all things red. They know that just because it’s getting warmer outside, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the wine you love! …

Wine Profile: Pinot Grigio

Peter Wearing Wine Profiles, Featured, Grape Profiles Leave a comment December 14, 2022March 18, 2016

Its crisp, light and appealing citrus and tree fruit flavours have made Pinot Grigio one of the most popular wines in the world. However, its popularity has been met with the mass production of a lot of “cheap” versions that have sullied the wine’s reputation. When searching for a Pinot Grigio make sure to avoid these and chose one which has characteristics that helped to make it one of the most popular wines on the planet. Pinot Grigio was made popular …

Marvelous Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment November 21, 2019March 16, 2016

The region of Abruzzo lies along Italy’s east central coast, where it meets the Adriatic Sea, southeast of Tuscany. It is one of Italy’s most mountainous and isolated regions. The Apennine Mountains here reach to about 9,000 feet, their highest in Italy. A rough and rustic region, Abruzzo is sprinkled with mountains, valleys and gorges all bathed in verdant foliage. Abruzzo boasts the greatest number of national parks and preserves in the country. Warm, sunny hillsides provide ideal conditions for …

REDS – Old vine splendour from California

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment January 12, 2022March 9, 2016

In the nearly three decades that I have been involved in the wine trade I have been fortunate to have met many of the icons of the business. One of the most interesting characters has certainly been Patrick Campbell. A practicing Zen buddhist; semi professional cellist;　socialist philosopher and brilliant winemaker, I have enjoyed the fruits of his labours for some time – first with Laurel Glen Vineyards a legendary Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and now with his Tierra Divina Vineyards (both in …

Six Benefits of Red Wine

Peter Wearing Featured, Tasting Tips Leave a comment August 13, 2021March 7, 2016

Red wine aficionados will tell you that a great red will stand up to a fabulous meal, make the dining experience more compelling, and they may also mention a few interesting health benefits. It is true that when enjoyed in moderation red wines can provide some great benefits to your health. The most widely cited properties are its antioxidants, which protect from the ravages of oxygen. Antioxidants protect us the way lemon juice prevents an apple from going brown. One …

2015 Harvest from Emilia Romagna

Peter Wearing Vintage Report Leave a comment January 28, 2021March 7, 2016

VINTAGE 2015 (Vintage n. 32) ANOTHER UNIQUE HARVEST by Mauro Sirri, Celli Vini I will start mentioning the first descriptive paragraph of the 2014 vintage: “In the little experience I have acquired, vintages as 2014 can be considered unique: for the seasonal pattern, the harvesting period, the great amount of work to do in the vineyard, the strategies to be adopted in the cellar. A vintage of which we can say to our children and grandchildren: “I was there”. Considering …

Delightful Pinot Noir that will not leave you penniless!

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment September 19, 2022March 2, 2016

Ever wonder why Pinot Noir is so expensive when compared to other wine varietals? Why is it so difficult to find a decent Pinot Noir under $30-40? The main reason is that Pinot Noir is a very thin-skinned grape making it susceptible to the weather: if it is too hot the grapes will shrivel; if it is too cold, the grapes will not ripen; if it is too wet the skins will split, or worse mold will attack the tightly …

Great Pinot from Sancerre

Peter Wearing Weekly offerings Leave a comment November 26, 2019February 29, 2016

Many of you know and love to drink Sancerre – a wine growing region located in the central vineyards of the Loire Valley in France. Most wine drinkers are familiar with the whites that dominate the region. Sancerre Blanc is always made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. These crisp, clean, and refreshing wines have become very popular and with good reason. In general they tend to be great quality for their price point and the best among them set the bar …