DesiReflections

Azienda Agricola La Lastra Slice Of Tuscany. Tuscany Province Of Italy is not only known world over for its wines but also but for enchanting landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. And Siena is one of the most beautiful cities of Tuscany. It is surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti,. Set on three hills, the city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps, whilst the Piazza del Campo stands at its heart, and the Duomo and St Maria della Scala serve as additional cultural landmarks. Siena is a good place to base yourself for a Tuscan experience. The Chianti area, between Florence and Siena, is one of the most beautiful countrysides in Italy and a famous wine production area. La Lastra is a family owned winery closer to Siena town. For the couple Nadia Betti and Renato Spanu it is not only winery and Vineyard , but it is a project of rural life that they starte...

Exploring Harry Potter’s London Harry Potter has become such a cultural phenomenon that when you mention London to some people, they no longer think of London Bridge or Big Ben, they think of Diagon Alley, platform nine and three quarters, and The Ministry of Magic.London is the location for a number of scenes in the Harry Potter movies, and you can visit them all taking uber or underground ride. Every Harry Potter movie has scenes that were filmed in London. Locations range from Leadenhall Market (the entrance to Diagon Alley) through to Kings Cross Station (home of platform 9 3/4 and boarding point of the Hogwarts Express. We will take a quick round up of such places in all the eight Harry Potter movies. Most of these places are in Central London. In the heart of Regent’s Park, a little way north of central London, is London Zoo– one of the world’s oldest zoo. But you’re not here for a history lesson – you’re here to know what the Harry Potter connection is. Well, of co...

Porter Family Vineyard : Underground Winery.... Napa Valley in USA stretches between Sacramento and San Francisco. It attracts thirty lac visitors every year . The simple reason is Wine. Napa Wines shine in the wine racks of wine stores around the globe . Napa is famous for its prized Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and, with more than 400 wineries dotting its fertile soils. The tasting experience defines the difference between wineries. On this yardstick, Porter Family Vineyards is a superb place to visit next time, it offers the most outrageously cool wine tasting experience, and I do mean cool because you spend most of the time in their unique wine cellar: a man made cave that stretches entirely through their vine covered mountain ! It is truly unique experience. The winery is owned by Tom and Beverly Porter. Porters claim that their story starts five million years ago when a small sandpiper wandered along the shore ! The tiny tracks the sandpiper left behind were co...

Suvla : Winery In Turkey You may ask me : Wines produced in Turkey? Yes, few Boutique Wines are making name and fame in European part of the country. Suvla Winery is one of the success story. It is named after Suvla bay where it is located , it is on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros. It is a family owned wine producer and viticulture company located in Eceabat along the Çanakkale Strait also known as Dardanelles in the historical Peninsula of Gallipoli. Owner Selim Zafer Ellialti worked in a variety of different enterprises, including the IT business, decided to make wine. Seriously make wine. In 2003, while he worked as general manager at Microsoft, he was responsible for the Middle East and Africa region, he and his wife, Pinar, created The winery. First, the couple Pınar and Selim Zafer Ellialti planted 44 acres of vines and named ‘Bozokbağ’ at the first harvest in 2006 after their newborn son Bozok. Located on the out...

Wineries in New World : Bovin in North Macedonia The Macedonian Republic is a country at the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, in south-eastern Europe. The modern-day incarnation of an ancient Greek state of Macedonia , it is quite distinct from Greek Macedonia, with which it shares a border for more than 100 miles . It is now an emerging player of wine production. So this time about Bovin Winery. It is the first privately build winery in Macedonia. It is located in small town Nigatino in North Region, owned by the brothers Kiril and Gjorgji Bogevski. Nigatino is on M1 highway running parallel to railway line connecting Skopje to Gevgelija in Greece. The company was established in 1998, the year when more than hundred thousand bottles of white and red wines were produced. Within a short span, it earned many accolades for quality of its wines. Bovin wines are produced 80% from grapes picked from its own vineyards and 20% from selected vine plantations with the use of environmentally ...

Rathfinny Wine Estate :  Sussex’s Winery   Rathfinny Wine Estate was established in 2010 near Alfriston in the South Downs of Sussex, and trying to be a game changer. Alfriston and it’s surrounding area is an exceptional natural landscapes. The winery is producing quality sparkling wine. Rathfinny occupies a perfect south facing slope, just three miles from the sea, and its climate, chalk soils and aspect make it probably the most perfect place to produce wine. There are few other players in the area already producing some of the best, award winning English sparkling wines. The Estate and Vineyard is owned by Mark and Sarah. Mark spent two years at Plumpton College studying viticulture before he bought Rathfinny, and Sarah – a former solicitor and university lecturer – is also deeply involved in the management of the estate. They have ambitious plan to become one of the largest single vineyards in England and one of the largest in Europe. The Estate also aims to achieve...

What Is So Special About Pouilly-Fumé ! It is a dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes and one of the France’s Loire Valley wines admired by connoisseurs. Pouilly Fumé hails from the upper reaches of the Loire River. Pronounced POO-ee foo-MAY, it is easily confused on the shelf with Pouilly Fuissé (that’s POO-ee foo-SAY), an appellation in Burgundy that specializes in Chardonnay. The vineyards that comprise this distinct appellation are located in the vicinity of Pouilly-sur-Loire, almost entirely on the eastern flank of the river. The climate here is more continental than downstream where you will find other well-regarded Loire white wines such as Vouvray and Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, but the real factor in what makes Pouilly-Fumé unique lies underground. Here, limestone and flinty clay impart the wine with a smokey quality (“fumé”). That — paired with a richness and depth in warm vintages — transforms this version of Sauvignon Blanc into something extraordinary and uniqu...

Bonpas Charter House : Winery With 800 Year History . In South East France lies Avignon city , on the bank of river Rhône. It is an important landmark in Catholic religion history as from 1309 to 1377, it was the seat of the Catholic popes. It is closer to Italy and Swiss border. Another important place in the area is Bonpas Charterhouse, overlooking the Durance River close to the town of Avignon. It had been a fortified monastery but now an established name in wine. Originally it was built by Knights of Saint John Hospital Jerusalem in the 12th century. The Charter House property was purchased by established family from Gap , they were simply charmed by the premises. Soon after they undertook renovations. In 1949, the chapel was reconsecrated and, in 1952, the site was classified as a National Historic Monument. In 2003, a French family that is a major player in today’s wine industry purchased the site and brought it back to life. In the year 2014, Bonpas opened its door for gener...

Dow Port : Poetry Of Scenic Upper Douro Valley In A Bottle Until late 19th century, the upper reaches of the Douro Valley of Portugal were a treacherous place to visit. The place was very beautiful but remote. It took days to get there by land from Porto, and the boat trip was hardly inviting as it involved negotiating perilous white-water rapids. In 1881, work began on a single track railway line that stretched from Porto towards the Spanish border, this track passes through two dozen tunnels and even more bridges, and also passes through a UNESCO World Heritage site. Among all the Vineyards and wineries in the region DOW has a special place. Getting there is now much more easy , thanks to new roads, and the fact that boats now have a much smoother passage, but best way to travel from Porto is along the magnificent railway line. The train takes you as far as Pocinho, a tiny village in the Upper Douro, and it still feels as if you are travelling into the back of beyond. The journey ...

Spy Valley Winery : clandestine mission In Marlborough Marlborough Region in New Zealand, is a real beauty, sunshine, an arresting, picturesque and geographically diverse setting. And in lifestyle choices, making this one strikingly unique place to be. It is a home to wine making, in a region celebrated for its increasing depth of varieties. Spy Valley Winery is on Lake Timara Road, Blenheim.The 1990s were a time of discovery and courage in Marlborough region. Deep in the Waihopai Valley, Bryan and Jan Johnson established 180 hectares of estate vineyards on land considered too hard, too dry and too unfertile for wine. It was a venture that started with a passion for the land. This pioneering spirit established one of New Zealand’s most successful family-run wineries, now exporting eight varietals to 35 countries. The best part of this winery is its commitment to the land and to the people who tend it . The owners still feel themselves simply farmers at heart...