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Stories and curiosities
Behind every label there are people, places and the odd surprise. Here I tell their stories, always with sources, and with a song to go along.
Blomberg Selection: where it all began
My family's wines, Blomberg Selection, made in Spain and named after a Swedish estate. That's where my love of Gewürztraminer began.
Why is a Ribera wine called «El Sueco» (The Swede)?
The story behind El Sueco, from Bodegas Virtus (DO Ribera del Duero): a Dalecarlian horse, a family from Peñafiel and a winemaker born in Sweden.
CVNE and Imperial: a railway winery and an English name
How the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España was born in Haro in 1879 and why its great red is called Imperial: the «imperial pint» of the English market.
Godello: the grape that almost disappeared
In the 1970s Godello barely existed in Valdeorras. The REVIVAL plan rescued it: the story of its recovery and of Guitián (A Tapada), O Luar do Sil and Avancia.
Ten wine curiosities I love sharing at the table
Where Champagne bubbles come from, what a vintage is, why bottles hold 75 cl, cork, wine's «tears» and other curiosities, with sources.
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