France · 7 days · 6–10 people
Jura and Beaujolais: the natural wine heartland
Seven days from Lyon with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group natural wine tour of the Jura and Beaujolais in France, six cellars, vin jaune and Morgon.
Topics
Food-Pairing
Tours
Italy · 6 days · 6–10 people
Etna: wines from the volcano
Six days from Catania with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Etna, Sicily, from north-slope contrade and palmenti to Benanti's Carricante.
Italy · 6 days · 6–10 people
Piedmont: Barolo, Barbaresco and the Langhe table
Six days from Turin with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, Italy, with five estates and white truffles.
Georgia · 6 days · 6–10 people
Western Georgia: Imereti, Racha and the other qvevri
Six-day wine tour, Kutaisi to Tbilisi, with sommelier Dante Minutello: garden qvevri in Imereti, Khvanchkara cellars in Racha and the western Georgian table.
Georgia · 7 days · 6–10 people
Georgia: Kakheti, qvevri and the long table
Seven days from Tbilisi with sommelier Dante Minutello: a small-group wine tour of Kakheti and Kartli, Georgia, from qvevri maranis to a palace and the supra.
Winemaker stories
Czechia · Mikulov Classic
Oldřich Drápal Jr. and the sunny hill of Popice
Sonberk at Popice, Mikulov, Czechia: Josef Pleskot's winery above the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, and its Pálava, Riesling and straw wine on my Moravia wine tour.
France · Beaujolais Classic
Claude-Édouard Geoffray and the blue stone of Brouilly
Château Thivin in Odenas, Beaujolais, France: the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly, Gamay on blue volcanic stone and a classic Côte de Brouilly built to age.
Italy · Etna Classic
Antonio and Salvino Benanti and the sea stone of Milo
Benanti in Viagrande on Etna, Italy: Pietra Marina Carricante from Milo, Nerello Mascalese Riservas, and the twin brothers who run the classic Etna reference.
Italy · Piedmont Traditional
Luca Roagna and the slow cellar of Barbaresco
Roagna in Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy: Nebbiolo macerated 60 to 70 days under a submerged cap, five years in old botti, and a winemaker who never hurries.
Italy · Piedmont Classic
Giuseppe Vaira and the stained glass of Vergne
G.D. Vajra in Vergne, at the top of Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: Bricco delle Viole Nebbiolo, Freisa and Riesling from a winemaker family under stained glass.
Georgia · Kakheti Classic
Gogi Dakishvili and the two cellars of Kisiskhevi
Schuchmann Wines in Kisiskhevi, Kakheti, Georgia: winemaker Giorgi Dakishvili makes Saperavi and Kisi in steel and oak, and as Vinoterra in qvevri, near Telavi.
Armenia · Vayots Dzor Traditional
Armen Khalatyan and the old bridge over the Arpa
Old Bridge Winery, Yeghegnadzor, Vayots Dzor, Armenia: a family winemaker since 1998, five hectares of Areni Noir and Voskehat, and a 13th-century bridge.
Armenia · Armavir Classic
Juliana Del Aguila Eurnekian and 400 hectares under Ararat
Karas Wines, Armavir, Armenia: about 400 hectares of Syrah, Malbec and Kangun on the Ararat plain, and the classic estate I visit on my Armenia wine tour.
Armenia · Vayots Dzor Classic
Vahe Keushguerian and the sparkling vines of Khachik
Keush, Vayots Dzor, Armenia: traditional-method sparkling from Voskehat and Khatouni grown up to 1,750 metres near Khachik by winemaker Vahe Keushguerian.
Wine knowledge
cellar-visit · food-pairing
How to visit a winemaker: etiquette, questions, buying
Sommelier Dante Minutello on visiting a winemaker: how to book, what to ask in the cellar, supra and sklípek manners, buying wine and getting it home safely.
cellar-visit · food-pairing
How to taste wine like a sommelier (in a cellar, not a classroom)
Sommelier Dante Minutello on tasting wine in a working cellar: look, smell, taste for structure, and what to ask the winemaker, from Armenia to Moravia.
natural-wine · food-pairing
Natural or classic: what a decade of pouring both taught me
Natural and classic wine side by side, from Etna to Kakheti: what each method changes in the glass, where each fails, and what a sommelier pours on tour.
Tell me where you want to drink
Write in any of my five languages. I answer personally, usually within a day.
Dante replies personally, usually within a day, in English, Russian, Czech, Armenian or Italian.