A year in the life, white/red balance

Year 14, No. 07

May 08, 2024

There exists an age-old conundrum that asks, if one is in Logroño, Rioja, is inspiration better found through penitent solitude or going out for a tapas and wine crawl via Calles Laurel & San Juan? You can probably assume that I went for the second option, so pardon any typos/rambling.

Apparently it’s been one year since switching over to Substack and this is when one is supposed to look at how life changing it was and how everything, literally everything has changed. It’s as if there were doves emerging from a chocolate fountain and flying into a solar eclipse.

Given that the CEO of the company has said some ‘curious’ things at the White House Press “Off” Dinner and there’s some weird pivot to video (because writing ain’t enough?), I’d recommend that no one quit their day job, if they still have one.

At the moment, it’s definitely a nicer writing experience here than other platforms and it allowed the Cul de Cuvée to sprout wings of its own, but has it changed the general newsletter for Hudin.com all that much? That’s a pretty big ‘dunno’ and maybe you, the kind, graceful reader has more of an opinion from your end?

But hey, it seems like a fine time for a subscription offer, so let’s do 20% off both the One-Year Classic and One-Year Pro memberships using the coupon ‘stack20’ at www.hudin.com/subscribe/. We’d love for you to find out what you’ve been missing behind the paywall!

In case you missed it, there’s what ended up being a very popular essay about the strange times that wine finds itself in (*) which takes a look at the supposedly-declining consumption of the beverage and how so much of the reality is tied up in corporate bottom lines than anything else.

There’s also a book review of the newest edition of the Slow Wine USA Guide (*) which gives a tremendous amount of insight for wines made well, in the US.

And then of course, there’s the regional report for the wines of Penedès!

Ah and if you missed these pieces on the attempting humor publication of, Cul de Cuvée, do catch up with A Case of the Dumbs (*) and The Man from Bordeaux (*).

Drink well, be well.

-Miquel

(*) Free to read

The Featured Reports

Penedès 2024

It’s one of the most dynamic regions in Catalunya terms of the variety of styles which, while centered on white wines, has a true rainbow of offer for most any drinker. Here I take a look at what’s being made of the native varieties in the region which is, a lot.

A taste of Northern Rhône

As Syrah’s birthplace and spiritual home it’s always excellent to check in and see how this truly lovely region is doing in terms of the wines.

And now this

Are you a fan of Beaujolais? Then you should take a look at this additional Tasting Report that dips into three producers which encapsulate the three states of mind defining the region at the moment.

If in need of another dose of Roussillon, have a look at this tasting for the wines of Domaine Lafage which is one of the motors of the region.

And then there’s coverage of some very unique wines from Ribera del Duero which is always a fun stop.

The Featured Wine

Herència Altés - La Serra Blanc 2020

It’s a white! It’s a Vi de Finca! It’s a Terra Alta! Most importantly, it’s freakin’ delicious. Have a look at this Garnatxa Blanca that I’ve scored at a banging 94pts