Craft
9 articles
Metodo Classico or Charmat: what really changes in the glass
Second fermentation in bottle or in tank, months on the lees, bubbles and aromas: Franciacorta, Trento DOC and Prosecco, without the snobbery.
Orange wines: the white that behaves like a red (and divides the table)
What orange wines are, why they are not the same as natural wine, from Georgian amphorae to Oslavia, and how to pair them with food without fear.
Amarone, the wine born of waiting: appassimento, Recioto and Ripasso
How drying grapes in Valpolicella’s fruttai creates Amarone, what links it to Recioto and Ripasso, and why its style is up for debate today.
Organic, biodynamic, natural wine: three words, three different worlds
Organic is a law, biodynamic a private trademark, natural a promise with no definition. What really lies behind the three labels you see on wine today.
“Contains sulphites”: the two most misunderstood words on a wine label
What sulphites in wine are, why winemakers use them, the EU limits for reds and whites, and what we actually know about the wine headache.
Barrique, large cask, concrete or steel: the home where wine grows up
The 225-litre barrique, the large cask, concrete and steel: how the vessel shapes the wine in your glass, from the Barolo wars to the return of concrete.
Corked wine: cork, screwcap and the molecule that steals wine’s aroma
Natural cork, technical cork, synthetic, screwcap and glass: what TCA really is, how common it is, and how to spot a faulty bottle in a restaurant.
Rosé is not watered-down red: how Italian rosato really gets its colour
Short maceration, saignée, direct pressing and the EU ban on blending white and red: how rosé is made, from Chiaretto to Etna.
Dealcoholised wine: how the alcohol is removed and what the law says
Vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, spinning cone: how dealcoholised wine is made and what EU and Italian rules provide for, excise duty included.