Wine



	Stories from the Oregon Wine Country Here I celebrate Oregon’s wine growing places, Willamette Valley and beyondю read more March 2012


	Seasonal Sips for a Supper Soiree or Shindig It’s that time of year again, a month of chaos and then stillness. read more January 2012


	Vinodelnya Vedernikoff: genuine Russian wine That November morning was unkind. The milky white fog that had descended upon the river Don was thick and impenetrable. read more February 2011


	Vinzavod Vinzavod, literal translation “wine factory,” was the term used in the former Soviet Union and now in Russia for the plant and facilities that manufacture a grape-flavored alcoholic beverage called vino (wine). read more February 2011


	National Treasure The sharp pop from a bottle of Shampanskoye echoes across every almost every home, restaurant and park in Russia at midnight on New Year’s eve, followed by a fizzy pour into any handy container. read more January 2011


	New Year Wine Buyer Guide This time of year I often get asked about wines for a company party, for a unique gift to take home for the holidays, or a Moscow New Year’s present for the boss. read more December 2010


	Christmas Tipples The holiday season is approaching fast. This is the time of year when we can finally relax and enjoy the company of family and friends. read more December 2010


	New Harvest, New Wines When you read these lines, the main wine harvest in the northern hemisphere will have finished. read more November 2010


	Winemaker’s evening at Cantinetta Antinori Antinori is one of the oldest and best-known names in Italian wines with more than 600 years of grapes in the family tree. read more July 2010


	New Zealand Wines Back to New Zealand. read more May 2010


	Looking Back on Wine in 2009 The financial crisis had some direct effects on the Moscow wine market. read more January 2010


’Tis the Season: Wine Buyer Update, December 2009 The past two Passport wine articles covered the Russian and Ukrainian wine industries respectively. Ukrainian Wine, November 2009 Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire by the nineteenth century, and later became a founding republic of the Soviet Union. Russian Wine Country Update, October 2009 The grape harvest is closing in Russia Wine Country, where about eighty percent of the country’s wine grapes are produced. Crisis Wine Buying, September 2009 I remember buying a warm Russian beer in Moscow in the summer of 1998, sold in a scratched recycled bottle which cost six rubles. Dmitri Pinski Plays Host, August 2009 One advantage to being a wine importer in Russia is the ability to supply your birthday party with wine at cost. Scandinavian Tapas and Spanish Wines, July 2009 This month we decided to go back to Night Flight for our Spanish wine tasting, and give Chef Michael Willuhn a chance to serve us some Scandinavian tapas and Night Flight’s classic Planksteak. People’s Bordeaux, June 2009 Last month we sampled wines from five of the most famous (and expensive) châteaus of Bordeaux – the “first growth” châteaus that were classifi ed in 1855. Four Years of Bordeaux Wines, May 2009 After our recent visit to Paris, Knights of the Vine Russia (KOVR) Commandeur Suprême John Ortega suggested we try French wines for our next wine tasting. Paris Wine Excursion, April 2009 In the time most expats spend in Moscow traffic every day, that expat could be near one of Europe’s great wine regions or certainly land in the world’s wine and gastronomic capital – Paris. California Dreamin’, March 2009 Passport again examined the wine lists of Russia’s top wine importers and the supermarket and boutique shelves, this time for California wines. Sicilian Wine in Moscow, February 2009 This month we are taking a new approach to help our readers select the best wines available on Moscow shelves. Winemaker Angelo Gaja, January 2009 If you didn’t know otherwise, you’d think he was a celebrity from stage or screen. Best of Wine 2008, December 2008 There are essentially four wine boutique chains in Moscow: Grand Cru, Kauffman shops, the Magnum and Decanter shops, and Kollektsiya Vin. In Grand Havana, October 2008 This month’s wine tasting was held at Moscow’s Grand Havana Room, a private cigar club off Slavyanskaya Square. Black Sea Gold Coast, August 2008 Recently Passport’s Knights of the Vine gathered to gauge the progress of Russian wineries. Windows on the World, July 2008 Kevin Zraly was the first wine steward and wine director of what was one of Manhattan’s top restaurants, Windows on the World. Canadian Riches, July 2008 The cork on the bottle of Dan Aykroyd wine is branded “Made from 100% Snob Free Grapes.” Drink: Cote du Rhone wines, June 2008 This month’s wine tasting was inspired by the Valence area in the heart of the French Côtes du Rhône wine region. Supermarket Wines, May 2008 For Passport’s wine tastings we rarely sample “supermarket wines,” which are the ones most consumers drink at home on a regular basis. The Hills are Alive, April 2008 When an upcoming business trip to Vienna prompted the decision to focus on Austrian wines, we set to scouring Moscow for appropriate subjects. One Night In … Vienna, April 2008 A wining and dining evening in one of the world’s great cities. Mediterranean Tour, March 2008 The venue for this month’s tasting features a Mediterranean menu. Return of the King, February 2008 The Knights of the Vine took another trip to New Zealand at year-end, just before the long Russian holiday. Moscow Wine Buyers’ Guide, January 2008 Preparing for the New Year celebrations, wine sales peak in Russia, and sparkling wines are the biggest sellers. Russian Knights Strike France, December 2007 The Russian Knights of the Vine were fresh off our Russian-French Champagne Shootout, that appeared in the October issue of Passport. Puttin’ on the Ritz, November 2007 Grant Dodd was back in town, this time with a crew, packing Parker Ninety Pluses. Russian French Champagne Shootout, October 2007 This month’s wine tasting is one of our most interesting... World Wines and New Friends, September 2007 After a scouting mission/restaurant review with John Ortega, Knights of the Vine Russia settled on Cipollino for this month’s wine tasting. Tour of Italy, July 2007 We headed back to Italy via the Concerto restaurant to review a small sample of the many Italian wines in Moscow. Around the World with Shiraz, June 2007 This month, the Knights of the Vine took a trip around the globe to test the Shiraz wines. Singapore Selection, June 2007 We enjoyed a Singapore Evening at the residence of Singapore Ambassador Michael Tay and his wife Meena Mylvanganam-Tay. Looking for Prizewinners, May 2007 With the help of the attentive GQ staff, Knights Of Vine Russia (KOVR) set off on the whites first, but anxiously awaited the reds. Don and Sancho, April 2007 For the first time for a Passport wine tasting, we ordered from the restaurant’s wine list and the prices reflect this. Asian Fusion Match, March 2007 This month we ventured back to Asia to re-review the wines that go with these popular foods, although Asian food and good wines are difficult to marry. Haskell Vineyards, February 2007 John Ortega took a flight to Cape Town, to look at Haskell Vineyards, owned by Preston Haskell, an American businessman based in Moscow. The Myths of Italy, January 2007 Our tasting of Italian wine at Semifreddo restaurant brought plenty of comments from our expert guests, about the difference between ‘old-fashioned’ wine and ‘modern’ wine. Party Wine, December 2006 By the first snowfall in November, Muscovites are already slowing down for the coming New Year holiday, and by December 10 a business call is likely to be greeted with, “What are you calling me for! It’s Christmas!” Bespoke Champagne, December 2006 Everybody we know drinks champagne at Christmas. Steak & Wine, November 2006 The wine shelves in Moscow are slowly refilling, but the selection is still meager, which made it difficult to hold one of our traditional regional or country wine rating sessions. Russia’s Wine Country, October 2006 Two months have passed since Russia’s wine crisis began, and supermarket Sedmoi Kontinent still has only a handful of wines. Whisky Tasting, October 2006 No visit to Scotland would be complete without sampling a ‘wee dram’ of uisge beatha or ‘the water of life’. Escape the Crisis, September 2006 Desperate times call for desperate measures. Country in Crisis, August 2006 It’s July 7, seven days after the new Russian alcohol tax stamp regime took effect, and the shelves are bare. Wine Tasting at Blue Elephant, July 2006 This month our Knights of the Vine headed to Thailand, at least the next best thing in Moscow, the Blue Elephant, home to the best and most authentic Thai food in the city. New Zealand Wines, June 2006 New Zealand flashed in the public eye twice during recent years: as the set for the Lord of the Rings films and for its terrific Sauvignon Blanc wines... Balkan Wines, May 2006 The wines of these countries are experiencing a post-Yugoslavic renaissance, with a number of new investments being made in this ancient wine region... Wine Glasses, April 2006 This month, our expanded Expat wine tasting panel found out through a class at Vinum, a wine shop at Prechistenka 60... Georgian Wine, March 2006 The Birthplace of Wine 2005 Round-Up, February 2006 Summing Up 2005 Australian Wine, January 2006 Endless Summer in Moscow Burgundy Wines, December 2005 Knights Forward German Wines, November 2005 A Winemakers’ Oktoberfest Sicilian Wines, October 2005 Wine Tasting Off on Safari, September 2005 South African Wines California Gold, Summer 2005 There’s gold in them thar bottles Chilean Shootout, June 2005 Our tasting panel rounds up some Cabs and Chards Russian Wine, May 2005 Our tasting panel is very surprised by Chateau le Grand Vostock