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Pim Pam of Penedès

Published 10. July 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Produced by Vinyes Singulars in the hills of Alt Penedès, Catalunya, this wine reflects a landscape that is often overshadowed by Cava but is increasingly recognised for its vibrant, terroir-driven still wines. Old vineyards, limestone and clay soils, Mediterranean sunshine tempered by cooler nights and sea breezes all contribute to the wine’s freshness and energy.

The estate is run by Ignasi Seguí, whose family has cultivated these lands since the early 15th century. Farming is organic, and the philosophy in the cellar is one of minimal intervention: indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtration, and no added sulphites. Pim Pam is a field blend of traditional local varieties including xarel·lo, macabeu, parellada, malvasia de Sitges, garnatxa blanca and sumoll blanc, creating a wine that captures both the vintage and the character of Penedès.

Pim Pam 2023 (Vinyes Singulars)

Lightly hazy with a deep golden straw colour. Salty lemon, ripe citrus, melon, Mediterranean herbs, white flowers and a subtle savoury, nutty nuance. On the palate it’s fresh yet textural, with lively acidity, citrus fruit, mineral salinity and a gentle phenolic grip. The finish is long, savoury and remarkably refreshing.

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Wine of the Week

Alvarelhão rosé for summer

Published 3. July 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

When people think of Monção and Melgaço, they almost always think of alvarinho. Yet this cool, Atlantic corner of northern Portugal is also home to a number of fascinating indigenous red varieties. One of the most distinctive is alvarelhão – a historic grape that was traditionally used for light, fresh red wines. In recent years, however, a growing number of producers have discovered its remarkable potential for elegant rosés, where its naturally vibrant acidity and delicate red-fruit character come beautifully into focus.

This wine is made by Quinta de Santiago, a family-owned estate with deep roots in Monção. The family farms its vineyards sustainably, with great respect for the local terroir, aiming to produce wines that express purity rather than power. This alvarelhão rosé 2024 is made entirely from alvarelhão, with gentle pressing and careful temperature-controlled fermentation to preserve the grape’s freshness, aromatic purity and vibrant Atlantic character.

Alvarelhão 2024 (Quinta de Santiago)

Brilliant pale salmon with delicate copper highlights. The nose is refined and expressive, offering wild strawberries, raspberries, pink grapefruit, rose petals and a subtle hint of fresh herbs. The palate is dry, crisp and beautifully balanced, combining juicy red berry fruit with citrus freshness and a fine mineral backbone. The finish is long, clean and mouth-watering, making this an irresistible summer rosé and a superb partner for seafood, grilled fish and Mediterranean cuisine.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Chalky Chablis

Published 26. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is a striking expression of modern Chablis from one of the region’s most thoughtful estates. Under the stewardship of Athénaïs de Béru, the family domaine has become a benchmark for organic and biodynamic viticulture, with a strong focus on expressing individual vineyard sites rather than cellar techniques.

The wine comes from a high-altitude limestone vineyard overlooking the Chablis landscape. The combination of Kimmeridgian soils, cool exposure and biodynamic farming gives it a distinctive sense of place. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, and ageing is deliberately gentle, using older vessels that allow the vineyard character to shine through without obvious oak influence.

Montserre 2022 (Château de Béru)

In the glass it shows a lemon colour. The nose offers aromas of citrus peel, green apple, white flowers, crushed chalk and a subtle saline note. On the palate, it is precise and energetic, combining ripe fruit from the warm 2022 vintage with remarkable freshness and mineral tension. Layers of lemon, orchard fruit and wet stone lead to a long, dry finish marked by chalky texture and a touch of sea-breeze salinity.

Price: High

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Wine of the Week

Varietal Antão Vaz

Published 19. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Alentejo may be best known for its powerful reds, but its native white grape antão vaz can be every bit as expressive. Traditionally, antão vaz is known for producing full-bodied wines with generous texture, moderate acidity and aromas that range from citrus and stone fruit to tropical fruits, often with a distinctive herbal and mineral edge. In the warm climate of southern Alentejo, the variety develops richness without losing its characteristic freshness when grown in the right sites.

Antão Vaz da Malhadinha 2023 comes from the rolling schist soils of Albernoa in southern Alentejo. It is produced by Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, one of the region’s pioneering family estates, renowned for combining modern precision with a deep respect for the surrounding landscape and biodiversity.

This single-varietal wine originates from the Peceguina vineyard and is made from hand-harvested grapes picked during the cool early hours of the morning. After careful sorting, the grapes are destemmed, gently pressed and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks, preserving the purity and character of the fruit. The result is a wine that captures both the generosity of the grape and the freshness of the site.

Antão Vaz da Malhadinha 2023 (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova)

Pale straw yellow in appearance with bright clarity. The nose offers aromas of ripe peach, pear, melon and citrus, accompanied by subtle floral and mineral notes. On the palate it is fresh yet generously textured, with ripe fruit, balanced acidity and a broad, mouth-filling structure. The finish is long, harmonious and persistent, showing both varietal character and elegance.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Balanced Brouilly

Published 12. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Beaujolais is often associated with easy-drinking wines, but at its best the region can produce reds of remarkable depth and finesse. Château Thivin is one of the historic estates of Côte de Brouilly, situated on the slopes of Mont Brouilly in southern Beaujolais. The vineyard known as La Chapelle takes its name from the small chapel that crowns the hill and overlooks one of the region’s most distinctive terroirs.

The Geoffray family has owned Château Thivin since 1877 and has played a key role in establishing the reputation of Côte de Brouilly. The vineyards are planted on the blue volcanic rock known locally as pierre bleue, a soil that gives the wines both structure and a characteristic mineral freshness. Farming is carried out with a strong emphasis on preserving the health of the vineyards and expressing the individuality of each site.

La Chapelle is made entirely from gamay grown on steep hillside parcels. The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified using traditional semi-carbonic maceration, a hallmark of Beaujolais. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by maturation in large, neutral oak casks that allow the wine to develop complexity without masking the fruit.

La Chapelle 2024 (Ch. Thivin)

In the glass, the wine shows a bright ruby colour with youthful purple highlights. The nose reveals aromas of red cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry and violet, layered with hints of crushed stone, herbs and spice. On the palate, it is elegant yet concentrated, combining juicy red fruit with lively acidity, fine tannins and a pronounced mineral backbone. The finish is long, precise and refreshing, capturing both the energy of gamay and the distinctive character of Côte de Brouilly.

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Wine of the Week

Beautiful Bandol

Published 5. June 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Mediterranean coast of Provence has become synonymous with rosé, but not all Provençal rosés are created equal. Château La Suffrène is situated in the Bandol appellation, one of the region’s most distinctive wine areas. Sheltered by hills and cooled by sea breezes from the Mediterranean, Bandol is best known for mourvèdre, a grape that brings structure, character and longevity even to rosé wines.

The estate has been in the same family for generations and today farms around 50 hectares of vineyards surrounding the château. The vineyards are cultivated with respect for the local environment, and the focus is firmly on expressing the character of Bandol’s limestone-rich soils and sunny maritime climate.

Domaine La Suffrène Rosé 2024 is made primarily from mourvèdre, supported by grenache and cinsault. The grapes are harvested at night or during the cool hours of the morning to preserve freshness. After gentle pressing, fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then matured on its fine lees for a short period to enhance texture while retaining its bright fruit profile.

Domaine La Suffrène 2024 (Ch. La Suffrène)

In the glass, the wine displays a pale salmon-pink colour with delicate copper highlights. The nose offers aromas of wild strawberry, white peach, pink grapefruit and Mediterranean herbs, accompanied by a subtle saline note. On the palate, it is dry, fresh and beautifully balanced, combining ripe red berry fruit with citrus-driven acidity and a gentle mineral undertone. The finish is long, clean and refreshing, leaving a lingering impression of sea breeze and Provençal sunshine.

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Wine of the Week

Pure white Priorat

Published 29. May 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Priorat is often associated with powerful reds grown on the region’s dramatic llicorella slate soils, but white wines have long been part of its history. Terroir Històric Blanc 2023 is an attempt to capture the essence of the entire appellation through fruit sourced from old family vineyards spread across several villages in Priorat. The rugged landscape, steep slopes and poor slate soils give the wines their distinctive mineral character.

The wine is made by Terroir al Límit, the project founded by Dominik Huber in Torroja del Priorat. Since its inception, the estate has championed a less extracted and more transparent expression of Priorat, focusing on site rather than power. The Històric range was created to showcase the wider region and to support traditional vineyards and local growers.

The 2023 vintage is a blend of approximately 75% garnacha blanca and 25% macabeo. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, largely using whole clusters, followed by maturation in concrete and stainless steel vessels without new oak. The aim is freshness, texture and a clear sense of place rather than winemaking artefacts.

Terroir Històric Blanc 2023 (Terroir al Límit)

In the glass, the wine shows a pale straw colour with bright reflections. The nose offers citrus peel, white peach, apricot, Mediterranean herbs and a subtle saline note. On the palate it is textured yet energetic, combining ripe orchard fruit with vibrant acidity and a distinctly mineral backbone. The finish is long, savoury and lightly salty, leaving an impression of both freshness and depth.

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Wine of the Week

Gorgeous Georgian

Published 22. May 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This wine was offered by Tempo wine bar, Sandnes, on our national day. It comes from the valleys of Kakheti, where winemaking traditions stretch back some 8.000 years.

Pheasant’s Tears, founded by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili in the hilltop town of Sighnaghi, has become one of the key ambassadors for natural and traditional Georgian qvevri wines.

Made from the indigenous kakhuri mtsvivani grape, the wine is farmed organically and fermented spontaneously before ageing in buried qvevri — the large clay vessels that define Georgia’s ancient approach to wine. The wine is unfiltered and minimally sulphured.

Kakhuri Mtsvivani 2022 (Pheasant’s Tears)

In the glass, the wine shows a light amber hue with a gentle golden shimmer. The nose opens with wild flowers, bruised apples, citrus peel and dried herbs, followed by a faint earthy savouriness from the qvevri ageing. On the palate it is textured yet vibrant, balancing orchard fruit and subtle tannins with a fresh acidity and a long, slightly salty finish. A really distinctive wine.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Great Dão wine

Published 15. May 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This wine comes from the granite highlands of Portugal’s Dão region. The vineyards lie mainly around Serra da Estrela, where ancient mixed plantings survive on poor granitic soils at elevations reaching 700 metres. Warm days and cool nights preserve acidity, giving the wines their characteristic tension and mineral clarity.

Although raised in Paris, António Madeira returned to his family’s Portuguese roots with a vision of restoring abandoned old vineyards and reviving the traditional identity of the Dão. He has since become one of the region’s most respected growers, working organically and focusing on indigenous grape varieties and historic field blends.

A Liberdade Branco 2021 is sourced from old vineyards planted mainly with native grapes such as encruzado, bical, fernão pires and cerceal. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Vinification is deliberately gentle, with ageing carried out partly in older oak barrels and partly in stainless steel in order to preserve both texture and freshness. The wine is bottled with minimal intervention and restrained use of sulphur.

A Liberdade 2021 (A. Madeira)

In the glass, a pale golden colour with light green reflections. The nose combines citrus peel, white peach, fennel, wild herbs and wet granite, along with evident lees ageing. Full on the palate, taut and energetic, balancing subtle texture with vibrant acidity and a distinctly saline mineral finish. A great wine.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Elegant from Envínate

Published 8. May 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

From the steep volcanic slopes of northern Tenerife, La Santa de Úrsula 2022 by Envínate captures the wild Atlantic character of the Canary Islands. The wine comes from Tacoronte-Acentejo, one of Tenerife’s oldest appellations, where centenarian pie franco vines cling to sandy clay soils over red basalt, cooled by ocean winds and shaped by dramatic elevations.

Envínate — founded by four friends after studying oenology in Alicante — has become one of the defining voices of contemporary Spanish wine. Their philosophy is simple: let each parcel speak clearly through old vineyards, organic farming and minimal intervention.
La Santa de Úrsula is made mainly from listán negro and negramoll, with a tiny touch of listán blanco. Each parcel is fermented separately using varying proportions of whole bunches, destemmed fruit and semi-carbonic maceration, all with indigenous yeasts. Ageing takes place for around eight months in old French barrels, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur.

La Santa de Úrsula 2022 (Envínate)

In the glass, a translucent ruby colour with violet reflections. The nose offers wild strawberry, sour cherry, rose petals, dried herbs and volcanic smoke. On the palate, it is fresh, savoury and finely textured, with juicy red fruit, silky tannins, vibrant acidity and a salty mineral edge that lingers beautifully on the finish. A wine of energy, perfume and Atlantic tension.

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