Discover the rich stories behind the world’s most iconic wineries! In this category, we delve into the legacies, landscapes, and innovations that have shaped these vineyards into legends. From centuries-old estates to groundbreaking newcomers, each profile uncorks a tale of passion, perseverance, and terroir. Explore the roots of winemaking excellence and raise a glass to the history that pours into every bottle! 🍇🏰
Wineries
Let’s start with this: Most people build a brand with marketing. Roman Bratasiuk built his with obsession, old vine maps, and a defiant refusal to blend. Clarendon Hills isn’t your average Aussie winery story. There are no big teams, no sprawling cellar doors, no vineyard signs pointing to
Wineries
Not all revolutions wear capes. Some wear crisp vineyard maps, speak in phenolics and elevation curves, and move like clockwork through fog-veiled Mayacamas hills. This is the story of BOND Estate—a project so precise, so quietly revolutionary, it didn’t just chase Bordeaux… it built its own classification system.
Wineries
I met Chacra in a gale: Patagonia’s roaring “viento” slapping the tin roof of a Río Negro bodega. A vintner shoved a glass my way—2006 Pinot Noir “Treinta y Dos.” Strawberries, rose petal and a chill of river stone leapt from the bowl. “Liber,” he laughed, “Burgundy packed
Wineries
Let’s get this straight: In an era when everyone was chasing Parker points and roto-fermenters, Bartolo Mascarello doubled down on tradition—one Barolo, one blend, one unwavering philosophy. He didn’t just make wine. He made a point. And today, those hand-labelled bottles, often bearing cheeky political art or
Wineries
Scene I | The Silk Merchant’s Daughter (1868 → 1960s) Maison Leroy begins in 1868 when wine merchant François Leroy, a Vosne‑Romanée silk trader, starts bottling for Paris haute‑cuisine houses. Fast‑forward to 1934: grandson Henri Leroy buys half of Domaine de la Romanée‑Conti (DRC), saving it from
Wineries
I first met Mencía on the Camino de Santiago—dust on my boots, monastery bells in the distance. A tavern‑keeper slid me a glass of 2005 Pétalos. “Liber,” he winked, “this is what happens when Garnacha’s Basque cousin moves to the mountains.” One sip—wild cherry, iron filings,
Wineries
Prologue — A Whisper in a Verona Cellar Picture this: winter mist rolling off Lake Garda, wood‑smoke curling from stone chimneys, and a cavern lit only by a single filament bulb. Someone hands me a glass of 1990 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva—inky, bittersweet, spiced like midnight panettone. “Liber,
Wineries
“Liber,” whispered the sommelier, sliding a glass my way, “this one doesn’t shout—it levitates.” One sniff of 2005 Rayas—wild strawberry, warm sand after rain, a whiff of Provençal garrigue—and I felt gravity loosen. Few estates cast that spell; time to trace the footprints. 1 Rayas in
Wineries
My baptism in Pichler glory? A moonlit summer on the Danube, apricot orchards perfuming the air. Someone slid a glass of 2001 “Unendlich” my way. One sniff—ripe peach, white pepper, wet granite—my pulse spiked; one sip and time folded. “Liber,” my host whispered, “that is eternity in liquid
Wineries
Here’s the thing: Cabernet Franc wasn’t supposed to be sexy. For decades, it played second fiddle to Bordeaux’s Cabernet Sauvignon—quiet, earthy, modest. But then came Clos Rougeard, tucked away in Loire Valley’s sleepy village of Chacé, quietly crafting wines that today sell out instantly and
Wineries
My first sip of Clos Apalta hit me like sunrise over the Cordillera: plum velvet, cedar spice, a faint whisper of roasted coffee. “Liber,” my Chilean friend grinned, “this is Bordeaux’s wild twin raised under Southern skies.” I’ve chased the estate’s story ever since—strap in for
Wineries
My first brush with Sassicaia? A stormy night on the Tyrrhenian coast—wind howling, fire crackling, a lone bottle breathing on the table. One sip and the room fell silent. “Liber,” my host murmured, “this is Tuscany wearing a Bordeaux tuxedo.” Hooked for life, I began tracking the estate like