Many Andrew Harper members are happily familiar with Porthos. Named after the jovial, drink-loving Musketeer in the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas, this California-based wine concierge service specializes in securing boutique, small-production bottles for its clients. Andrew Harper’s official wine concierge for several years, Porthos has recently broadened its portfolio from trophy bottlings of [...]
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Unexpected Wine Country: Virginia
When most people think of great American wine regions, the West Coast usually tops the list. But one of the world’s loveliest wine countries hides in the East, in Virginia, where little-known vintners are crafting world-class wines. For those unfamiliar with Virginia wines, their uniformly high quality can come as quite a surprise. It’s [...]
Unexpected Wine Country: Cappadocia, Turkey
Viewed from above in a hot air balloon, Turkey’s Cappadocia region looks more like the rugged American Southwest than a wine country. It resembles Bryce Canyon combined with the Grand Canyon, but honeycombed with mysterious, unearthly troglodyte cities. Nowadays, people visit this dramatically beautiful, thoroughly unique and tangibly ancient landscape for its seemingly alien [...]
Unexpected Wine Country: Salta, Argentina
Everyone has heard of Mendoza, Argentina’s most famous wine region, where vineyards give way to dramatic views of the Andes. But 800 miles to the north, the world’s highest vineyards grow in the Salta Province, site of Argentina’s finest colonial city and one of its oldest wineries. A 4½-hour drive from the city of Salta, [...]
Unexpected Wine Country: Slovenia
Beguiling Slovenia may sound far off the beaten track, but one of its loveliest wine countries is adjacent to Italy’s renowned Friuli wine region, just a two-hour drive from the Venice airport. The unspoiled Vipava Valley, bordered by the high Trnovo Forest and Kras Plateau, produces some excellent red wines, but the whites are particularly [...]
Notable July Events
July 1-24: Although Beaune in Burgundy is justifiably famous as a wine capital, this charming town turns into a center of music during the Festival de Beaune, celebrating the Baroque period, Mozart and the Romanticists. Visitors can enjoy a range of operas, concerts and recitals in venues throughout the city, including the famous Hospices. July [...]
The Blackberry State of Mind: A Chat With Andy Chabot
Every year, the James Beard Foundation singles out the best and the brightest in the culinary world. We recently chatted with Blackberry Farm’s wine director, Andy Chabot, about his nomination for an outstanding service award as well as up-and-coming wine regions and, of course, Blackberry Farm.
Notable April Events
April 9: Though not as famous as its popular Easter or Thanksgiving Day parades, New York City’s National Tartan Day Parade is a must for Scotland enthusiasts. On the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (the Scottish declaration of independence), about 10,000 pipers, drummers and representatives of various Scottish clans parade down Sixth Avenue. April [...]
Notable Northwest Wine Events
Three notable Northwest wine events occur in November, two in Washington, the nation’s second largest producer behind California, and one in Oregon, which ranks third. • Nov. 5-7 is Autumn Release Weekend in Walla Walla, about four and a half hours southeast of Seattle in central Washington, or four hours east of Portland, OR. The [...]
The Wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, France
With more than 700,000 acres under cultivation, the Languedoc-Roussillon produces as much wine — if not more — than the state of California. The Greeks first planted grapes here in the fifth century B.C., and for centuries, the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon were highly regarded. This changed drastically and grievously in the 19th century, however, with [...]
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