Contra Soarda’s ‘Terra’ - Europe’s 1st (overtly) carbon negative wine from N. Italy

I have a lucid memory of January 2006, standing with a friend in the biting cold (-6ºC) North Italian town of Bassano del Grappa, watching huddles of ladies wrapped in animal furs, generating heat with the ferocity of their chatter, set against the majestic mountain from which the town gets its name, as does a familiar digestivo, itself a warming rejoinder to the icy breeze chapping my lips.

Read more ...

Wines of Alentejo strike a Sustainability chord in London

On Tuesday 24th May the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme (WASP) accompanied by 8 wine producers, came to London to present both the work they have been doing in establishing a rigorous sustainability certification scheme and the certified wines that they are entering into the market. 

Read more ...

Ventoux AOC - Is this high altitude Rhone appellation having it's day in the sun?

A few years ago in London, I met James King from Chateau Unang in the Ventoux AOC in the Rhone. This is an area of the Rhone that is currently enjoying an ascending reputation due to a warming climate, better ripening while maintaining acidity. 

Recently at VinExpo, Paris, I met with James's wife, Joanna King, who then introduced me to Frederic Chaudiére, President of the Ventoux Appellation. In this short interview with Frederic, we discuss the climate imprint so far and also the efforts that are now underway to join global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Read more ...

Riccardo Pasqua: In search of new taste in a changing climate & bullish on Italy’s brand

This interview with Pasqua Wines CEO, Riccardo Pasqua, was recorded in Verona during VinItaly Special Edition, last October in 2021.

During the wine show, Pasqua collaborated with an art collective to put on a large-scale installation, demonstrating that wine can express itself as a collaborator in the arts as easily as it can in a tasting note. 

Read more ...

VinExpo and THE Climate Event: ‘Making Wine In A Changing Climate’

Climate change is on the agenda and great things are being done but are we gearing up for change or just freewheeling into an uncertain and highly variable future? These are my notes and reflections from attending the ‘Making Wine In A Changing Climate’ event. 

Read more ...

Champagne Telmont - sustainability front and centre!

In this interview with Champagne Telmont, we discuss the efforts being made across the business to respond to the sustainability challenge. Established in 1912, the Telmont story is deeply entwined with the story of Champagne itself through the upheavals of the 20th Century. 

Read more ...

La Scolca Interview: Sustainability, "A challenge we must win from today..."

Since spending much of the last year in Italy, just south of Piedmont, I have become very much enamoured with the Cortese grape for it’s freshness and suitability to drink with seafood dishes that are served in abundance, here in Liguria.

Read more ...

London Wine Fair | Industry Briefing from IWCA

I was pleased to moderate this International Wineries For Climate Action (IWCA) briefing during the London Wine Fair. The session involved three of the leading names in the wine world?: Familia Torres, Jackson Family Wines and Symington Family Estates.

Read more ...

Climate Change Creeps Into Champagne Reserve Wines

The Champagne collective group of growers, Le Mains du Terroirs du Champagne, held a tasting in April to connect with us aficionados who like to pilgrimage to Reims for the annual Printemps du Champagne tastings but who have been hampered by the pandemic. 

Read more ...

IWCA: Wine Producers Taking Action On Climate Change

The IWCA is looking to grow its community of producers who are taking stock of their impact on the Earth and taking the steps to be part of what Lord Stern said this week is ‘The story of our century”, meaning, the ‘Race To Zero’ emissions.

Read more ...

Follow us on social media:

Secret Sommelier on TwitterSecret Sommelier on Instagramfacebook 001linkedin 001youtube 001

Climate change podcast

We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of this site have already been set. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy policy.

  I accept cookies from this site.
EU Cookie Directive plugin by www.channeldigital.co.uk