In the summer of 2020, I had the incredible privilege of visiting the legendary Auberge de L'Ill for the very first time. Nestled in the charming village of Illhaeusern, about 15 miles north of Colmar, this iconic restaurant sits in the heart of the beautiful Alsace region, surrounded by half-timbered houses, flowers, and the gentle
What, you ask, is the big difference between Château d’Esclans’ two crown jewels—Garrus and Les Clans? Well, let’s start by tossing the word big out of the window. These two don’t compete; they coexist like elegant siblings who both went to top universities but chose different majors. In the glass, they’re nearly identical—pale, poised, and
We won’t whisper. Not today. Today we sing—loudly, joyfully, a little off‑key perhaps—because Whispering Angel turns twenty. I still remember that night as if Provence itself pressed it into my memory. It was 2 July 2016, and I was gliding through the warm, inky darkness in a borrowed car, heading toward Château d’Esclans. The occasion:
One of my very first wine articles in the Dutch Newspaper De Telegraaf /Spits (I have to digg in my memories but it have to be 30 years ago) was about a wine from the Maremma. The wine was made from the grape sangiovese, but they call it overhere the 'little black one' (morellino). Once
The Secrets of the Archangel: A New Mystery in the Judean Hills By Janna Rijpma-Meppelink In the late nineties of the last century I had the pleasure of meeting Eli Ben-Zaken for the first time during a dinner in Amsterdam. In that time his chardonnay made an indelible impression. Finally in 2011 I had the
Like a film star on an international press tour, Yoram Avigad—newly appointed CEO of Israel’s flagship estate, Golan Heights Winery—has been making swift appearances across Europe. Avigad brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience in agribusiness, consumergoods, and the premium food and beverage sectors and an executive demeanour blending calm authority with sharp
Enologica ! Een uniek wijn & food festival dat ieder jaar plaats vindt in Bologna. Oprichter en orgnanisator Giorio Melandri geeft Emilia Romagna met dit event de aandacht en allure die het verdiend. Quote: “Man is the most fantastic animal of all the fantastic animals.” Ermanno Cavazzoni, A guide to fantastic animals, 1988 Persbericht: “Enologica”, the
Sinds Valentijnsdag 2014 heeft het vijfsterren Hotel de L'Europe in Amsterdam een prachtige Spa en Wellness afdeling in de basement van haar eeuwenoude monumentale pand . Deze "Leading Spa of the World" zoals het staat aangeprezen op de website van het hotel, heeft in samenwerking met het Nederlandse SKINS Institute haar deuren geopend voor zowel