Wines from Albania: diamonds in the rough
Time to start looking to Albania...
Darrel Joseph is based in Vienna and began writing about the wines of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in 1995, after his palate was captured by Hungarian Tokaji and Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Since then his interests have broadened to include Croatia, Slovenia and all Balkan wine countries, plus Georgia and Russia, as well as the aforementioned Austria and Hungary. Joseph's writing has appeared in Decanter, Wine Spectator, Wine Business International and Harpers Wine & Spirit, and he has also contributed to Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book and wein.pur's Best of Austria, and Guide to Grüner Veltliner. He was also the English language editor of Lászlo Alkonyi’s book, Tokaj, The Wine of Freedom. When he's not writing, Joseph conducts wine tastings and seminars internationally, and translates a wide range of wine texts from German to English.
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Austria has created a three-tier quality pyramid for its emergent sparkling wine sector to improve its reputation and help consumers to better understand the category.
A private collection of thousands of rare Austrian wines are set to be auctioned in Vienna.
As harvest starts in Austria winemakers are predicting a vintage with excellent ripeness but with volume down by nearly a quarter, as a result of millions of euros damage from catastrophic weather conditions earlier in the year.
Josef Jamek, instrumental in developing Austria's Wachau region, has died aged 92.
The new chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW), Lynne Sherriff MW, is set to focus on expanding the London-based Institute's global presence.
Alois Kracher Sr has died of cancer aged 81.
Austria’s has approved its sixth DAC appellation.
Austrian wine producer Gerhard Kracher has just released his first Spätlese wine -the Kracher Spätlese 2008.
Austria´s Kamptal wine-growing area has just adopted the DAC appellation system.
The new Austrian chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine is determined to make the organisation ‘more relevant to the wine trade.’
Sauvignon Blanc could thrive in northern Europe if average climate temperatures continue to rise, a conference has heard.
Aldo Sohm, sommelier and wine director the Michelin three-star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York, has been named Best Sommelier in the World 2008.
Exports of Austrian bottled wine jumped 30% in 2007, further cementing the country’s reputation for fine wine produced in small quantities.
Austrian co-op the Freie Weingärtner Wachau has changed its name to Domäne Wachau – because of increasing exports.
Pierre Lurton, Serena Sutcliffe MW, Jim Clendenen and Stephane Derenoncourt will be among the stars presenting at Vienna’s WorldWineFestival next month.
The Kremstal has become Austria's first internationally renowned wine-growing area to adopt the DAC appellation system.
More than 1,000 mourners filled the large parish church of Illmitz, Austria, to overflow capacity on Friday for the funeral of Alois Kracher.
Top Austrian wine producer Alois Kracher died this morning after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 48 years old.
The position and potential of Sauvignon Blanc will be the focus of the first World Sauvignon Congress in Graz, Austria, in August 2008.
Austria’s Donauland region is set to have its name changed to Wagram in the next few weeks.
Austria’s Traisental region has adopted DAC status as the country’s appellation system takes hold at an accelerated pace.
A thousand year-old monastery has revived its winemaking with help of Austrian wine guru Fritz Miesbauer.
Mittelburgenland in Austria has just become the second of the country´s 19 wine growing areas to officially adopt the DAC appellation system.
When Grüner Veltliner took on white Burgundy in blind tastings last year, wine lovers everywhere took notice. DARREL JOSEPH looks at Austria’s other great white