Diversen

Correspondences: vines and anthropology – part 1

Katia Nussbaum of San Polino in Montalcino, author of last year’s coronadiary and this stimulating discussion of biodynamics, was particularly struck by the winning article submitted by our 2021 writing competition winner Chris Howard, a researcher and anthropologist currently based in New Zealand. The result is a fascinating correspondence that we are publishing in four parts this week. The illustration is by Katia’s brother Jono Nussbaum.

[www.jancisrobinson.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Correspondences: vines and anthropology – part 2

Katia writes This is all overwhelmingly exciting and I need to read it all calmly … con calma. Thank you so much for all your thoughts. You see, unlike you, I do not work in an academic environment so I easily wonder if I am odd in the way I see things, but no – I am obviously in the best of company! And yes, also I agree that wine and vines are the ultimate meeting ground for nature and culture, where in practice, not just in theory, the boundaries actually do, on the ground, blur and overlap and become nonsensical.

[www.jancisrobinson.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

Correspondences: vines and anthropology – part 3

Chris writes Glad to hear the harvest is going well so far. Sorry for my delayed response – been a bit touch and go lately. I’m very impressed, flattered and feeling slightly guilty that amidst all the work to do in this critical, culminating moment you engaged with my chapter on that level. I thought you might look at it once your ferments were finished and your wine put to rest for the winter. Clearly, your mind is as busy as your hands!

[www.jancisrobinson.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.

French winegrowers call for an international reform of the Olympic average for crop insurance policies

After a devastating series of frost, hail, mildew and drought events, the 2021 vintage has not only seen French wine production fall, but also the Olympic averages of insurance companies, in other words the average production over the last five years minus the two extreme harvests, the best and the worst. With small yields that can finally be insured (with an excess clause), “who could imagine that business managers would be stupid enough to take out an insurance policy just for the principle of being insured when it does not allow them to tackle the reality of adverse weather events”, claims Jean-Marie Fabre, chairman of the French independent winegrowers’ organisation.

[www.vitisphere.com]

John

Life is always better when I wine.

Koken is meer dan een recept.