Albanian wines + 'Affordable' Burgundy

Year 13, No. 07

Warmest of greetings,

We pick up with our regularly-scheduled episode of, “Rain? Um, rain….?” here in Spain as while there have been some splatters here and there, nothing sizable has really reached most of the country. Winemakers are definitely nervous as since the end of last harvest we’ve only had 90mm (3.5in) of precipitation.

Some are getting in front of this like the owner of an exalted vineyard in Spain who’s installed an entire irrigation system for the first time since the vineyard was planted 80 years ago. Yikes.

Meanwhile, the Catalan authorities have released a ‘Foc Off’ campaign that has fun with the Catalan word for ‘fire’ while trying to get the message out to prevent stupid fires for what will undoubtedly be a dry-as-a-bone summer.

Despite the desert conditions for water, we’ve slipped into the rather cool, “normal” kind of early June that I remember when first visiting Spain over a decade and a half ago. Have the mild temperatures stopped visitors from heading to the sea? Not in the slightest! It seems the concept of “beach” is similar to that of pizza now as I’d even seen people in the water in February when I was working the Mallorca report. Madness.

Beyond Spanish drought news, I’m very happy to be sharing my lengthy, 5,000 word report on the wines of Albania that arrives with what is the most extensive international tasting of Albanian wines to date. Wineries are still in early days there, but it’s a unique country with the potential to offer up some very different wines (as well as good beach and pizza).

Drink well, be well.

-Miquel

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