Visiting Pio Cesare in Alba

Augusto Boffa is a man who likes to drive fast, hugging the vine-filled curves of the tiny hillside road that runs from the winery in downtown Alba to the pretty outdoor La Contea restaurant in Nieve. Maybe he's just hungry, yet there is a certain determination in the way he drives - the same determination that saw the Pio Cesare winery succeed over the past several decades.

Visiting the G.D. Varja Family

Okay, so here's the story. This is a family of poets and dreamers, with everything beginning with Aldo Varja, an organic winemaker and traditionalist who adheres to old style winemaking methods such as aging his top Barolo in barrel for three and a half years prior to bottling.

Conversation with Giancarlo Conterno

"My goal is put my signature on my wine," says Giacomo Conterno, speaking about the importance - or not - of critics in the wine world. This statement follows a discussion of the twenty-year debate between the "traditionalists" and "modernists" in Barolo.

Visiting Sandrone winery in Piedmont

So I remember the first time I met Barbara Sandrone ... it was in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York city, and she was pouring her Barbera in a gorgeous "modernist" yellow and black dress that were the same colors of the New York City taxi cab.

Visiting the Scavino Winery in Piedmont

The great great grandfather was a farmer who grew various fruit trees, had cattle and other animals, and so forth. He grew grapes yet in those days (1921) the farmers sold grapes to people who bottled and sold the wine.

Danielle Ponzo Shows Me Terre del Barolo Cooperative

During this visit I was really surprised at how excellent a cooperative to be - yet maybe that is the case when there is an enologist like Daniele involved. His passion as he led me through the winery was really contagious ... I almost felt like I wanted to drop my New York life and move to Piedmont and work with him side by side, learning how to turn the grapes of simple vignerons into the most amazing velvet textured wines.

Visiting Fenocchio in Monforte d'Alba

This is my first encounter with Giacomo Fenocchio in Monforte d'Alba though this wine has been famous for generations. From the terrace of his newly built house I can see the gorgeous expansion of vineyards (most south east facing, the best) and of course the family has other vineyards in other areas of the region.

Visiting Oddero winery in Piedmont

The winery goes back to the end of the 18th century with vineyards owned in some of the most prestigious regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, though historical records show the vineyards and estate has belonged to the Oddero family for centuries.

Conversation with Giacomo Conterno

"My goal is put my signature on my wine," says Giacomo Conterno, speaking about the importance - or not - of critics in the wine world. This statement follows a discussion of the twenty-year debate between the "traditionalists" and "modernists" in Barolo.

John Barfield | Millenial Wineman

Jerry Lockspeiser: Call My Wine Bluff proves people just want to have fun with wine!

As reported in Harpers in March we aimed to raise enough at this year's Call My Wine Bluff to pass £1 million since our first event 6 years ago. Thanks to the generosity and spirit of the 180 people who laughed, listened, chatted and drank their way through the evening (no one was spitting thank God) we did - by some way.

Masters of Wine and Scuba Divers have one thing in common, but what is it?

Stephen Forward takes a light-hearted look at the Institute of Masters of Wine programme, and shares his thoughts and questions on this mysteriously elitist organisation. Warning: This article may contain traces of nuts.

Your business is carbon neutral. What does that mean exactly?

The Green agenda is in vogue. But what does it all mean? Stephen Forward gets confused; neh flustered when trying to debunk this intriguing topic.

HARPERS CHOICE

Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Hattingley Valley Classic Cuvée 2011 and Mouton Cadet Sauvignon Blanc 2013

James Steen: On his new book The Kitchen Magpie

Of my experiences as a one-time, hard-nosed news reporter, there is one gruesome memory that still haunts me on an almost daily basis...

Is wine & breast milk really such a sour mix?

Stephen Forward questions the London Wine Fair's position towards breast feeding mums, and calls for a change in policy.

Mark Fiddes on why he is struggling with the beer brand smarm offensive

You may recognise the symptoms. It's more debilitating than hay fever; the snarling of the lip, the nausea, an ennui so enervating that zapping from Dave TV to a living human channel is almost impossible.

London Wine Fair: To go or not to go, that is the question?

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The train and commuters of outrageous fortune, Or to take the journey against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To drink: to taste, No more...or something to that effect...

How Independents are able to compete and be successful.

A few thoughts on what Independents can do to flourish in the ultra competitive retail market.

It's confirmed, we're not alone, there is life on another planet!

For years scientists have pondered the idea that life may exist on a planet other than Earth. Countless money, running into billions of dollars, has been ploughed into research to answer this very simple question: Is there life on another planet? Well now we finally have the answer…