raffaele Mastrovincenzo

The 2014 edition of Villa Favorita in North Italy, in the country side of Vicenza a small city in the region of Veneto has been a great experience, more than 150 winemakers all over Europe they were sharing the same philosophy and attitude based of healthy agriculture respecting mother nature. The natural balance between the work of their hands, the soil where their vineyard are situated and their minimal intervention bring in the glasses a great wines with outstanding pleasure of drinking. the theme behind them were: Environmental and economic sustainability of the winery. Fertility and vitality of the soil. Wine and Health. I spend a full day there and of course I wasn't able to try all the wines were displayed.. So I try to tell about some of them: Stemberg wines Stemberg wines in the center of Carso appellation in the Slovenian part; I did try the Vitovska a typical grapes varieties in this part of the world quite aromatic; star bright with straw yellow co...

The use of high and low levels of sulphur dioxide, my opinion:  Sulphur is an organic element, naturally created with a key role in the growing of grapes and in the making of wine. The primary purpose of sulphur dioxide addition is to prevent something going wrong in the life of wine. This is based around a desire to keep oxygen away from the wine, because without this use it can oxidize components in the wine, create reduction in fresh aroma, change in colour but can also encourage the growth of spoilage bacteria such as the various lactic acid bacteria and others, as well as wild yeast that can grow in wine and turn into stinky compounds. The effects of sulphur dioxide can be grouped into four categories: antioxidant, stabilizer, solvent and modifier of taste. In must and wine, there are several substances that tend to oxidize, changing both the look and the taste. There are different benefits related to postfermentation. One can be the style of ...

In the north part of Rhone Valley just before the Amazing Cornas appellation there is an amazing district called Crozes - Hermitage. The town of Tain - L'Hermitage divide the appellation in two diverse terroir; north of the town on the right bak of the Rhone river, the soil are granite based on hill terrace. South of the town the soil are more alluvial and sandy with varying percentage of clay and stone in the surface; climatically there is also a contrast, the north are hilly and cooler and the south are flat and relative warm. The area under vine is almost 1,525 hectares 92% are shiraz based the rest 8% are two white grapes varieties Marsanne and Rousanne. Natacha Chave she is a young winemaker start in 2004 in St. Joseph and in 2007 added 5,5 hectare on Crozes Hermitage. The Aleofane from 2010 is a meaty black fruit with salty licorice and prune. Palate lots of red and black fruit, spicy and peppery, coarse tannins, tar and charcoal with great granitic minerality, all r...

Okonomierat Rebholz is one the most important producers in Pfalz they farms some very special sites that show the amazing minerality the German riesling have got. The soil of the Palatine combine with volcanic, chalky and sandstone,,, spice and vivacious wine with enriched mineral content. 2011 spatlese from the Grosses Gewachs Rebholz was pale yellow green, offering floral, white peach and citrus with flinty and limestone notes. The palate was off-dry and clean, elderflower and ripe orchard fruit. Complex and unforgettable. Zilliken has a deepest cellar on the Saar river in the Mosel region in Germany the wine aging and maturing in optimum conditions in German oak. The Saarburger Rausch is the vineyard where Zilliken work on his wines. It lies right on the edge of the town. His another Grosses Gewachs producer of the VDP member which means they will make a wine from their top sites as the picking can be Kabinet/Spatlese/Auslese but the sugar must be fermented through dry....

Geologically similar to is neighbor, the Wachau, primary rock soil with steep slopes with the Danube river still acting as fan or a warming up the austere climate of the long growing season. Mainly Gruner Veltiner and Riesling this small sub region producing elegant and mineral wines. Kremstal have got two denomination Kremstal DAC with alcohol should be not more than 12,5% with light pure aroma and great minerality. Kremstal DAC RESERVE the addition "reserve" display ripe aromas, density on the palate with a long and smooth finish, with a minimum of 13% alcohol. Stadt Krems is a winery with century of history one of the oldest producer of Austria. The team is direct by Fritz Miesbauer with 90% of the production is Gruner Veltiner and Riesling. 31 hectare of vines exclusively in the best terrace of the city of Krems, loess, slate and gneiss (quartz and mica) are the composition of the soil. The 2008 Riesling Steinterrassen has a typically mineral content, slat...

North of Wien there is a wine region called Niederosterreich with different DCA (Districtus Austria Controllatus) very similar to the AOC in France or the DOC system in Italy. One of DAC is Wachau on the narrow Danube valley between Melk and Krems. Vineyards are in steep terrace mainly focus on Riesling and Gruner veltiner with hot a dry summer and cold winter are mitigate by the Danube river which contra balance the excess of temperature, that conditions generate a complexity aroma in the grapes. The soil are very various sandy, gravel and stony with altitude they  converge with the western Atlantic stream and the Pannonian conditions (compaction of sediment on one hand and structural movement on the other). Wachau is a small DAC with 3 different categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd are used respectively for light, medium and full body wines with natural alcohol. Steinfeder maximun alcool content 11,5% Federspiel with an alcohol content between 11,5% to 12,5% by volu...

Patrick Sullivan is a young winemaker based in Yarra Valley. He is also the assistant winemaker to William Downie on his Thousand Candles project. Sullivan wines are a tiny production and sit in the lazy winemaking of the natural wine movement. Patrick uses wild ferments to transform his grape juice into wine, apparently it doesn't touch it all. Jumpin juice is a blend of Pinot noir, shiraz and sauvignon blanc from 2013 Sour fruit raspberry and strawberry, vivid color mostly metallic and electric. Straight on the palate is dry, with a real freshness acidity which is the key of the wine. Good balance mostly focus on the perception of tannin and acid structure. The sourness in the palate with the high perception of the acidity reminds me of some Priere Rouch from Nuits Saint George. This wine is not built to be complex and artifact  is just a pure expression of the grapes with great drinkability. A pure expression of the mostly know region in Victoria Yarra Valley.  Basi...

One of my prefer grape varieties is called Barbera an indigenous grapes varieties mostly planted in the Piedimonte region. Naturally is a grapes varieties with a very fine acid structure with mellow tannin. There is diversity soil and denomination where is can be adaptable and makeup her structure. Barbera D'Asti D.O.C.G. with 3 subzone Nizza, Tinella and Colli Astiani Minimum 85% Barbera max 15% Freisa or Grignolino or Dolcetto The time of aging start on the 1st of November after the harvest and need to be 4 months without oak aging. For the mention Superiore need to be 14 months with at least 6 in oak. Barbera de Monferrato superiore D.O.C.G. Minimum 85% Barbera max 15% Freisa or Grignolino or Dolcetto after the harvest need to be aging for 14 months with 6 months on barrel Iuli is a small cooperative set up at least 30 years ago, the wine is a distinctive pure expression of this amazing grape varieties in Monferrato However the wine is simple delicious: deeply...

Waiheke Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zeland about 18 km from Auckland. Maritime climate with ancient soil structure alluvial valleys with layers of clay and ancient rock strata from 100's years old Jurassic era with heavy cracking which encourages deep root penetration. Waiheke Island is strongly influenced by the sea. The ocean acts as fan and an insulator, there is a warm effect in winter and a cool effect in summer which allows late varieties to ripen fully over an extended period. Thus the blending is suitable for the terroir driving, different varieties permitted flower and ripen at different times, which means that one bad frost or heavy shower is unlikely to ruin an entire crop. Stony Ridge Vineyard La Rose 2001 Bordeaux blend with 56% of Cabernet Sauvignon  La Rose is the name from a single spot where this wine comes from, also is a tribute to the rose, the most  aromatic, colorful, intense and beautiful of all flowers. The yields are 20...