Layne Randolph
Wine

Isola del Giglio: Heroic Viticulture

Decanter
Francesco Carfagna of Altura Vigneto is a kind of “godfather” of Giglio’s wine industry and helped revive the island’s wine culture after it nearly died in the late 20th century. His journey began in the late 1990s when he restored a vineyard on the Capel Rosso Promontory where the Ansonica grape had flourished for centuries. By 1996, only 10-13 hectares of cultivated land had remained, worked by a handful of dedicated vignerons who Francesco calls “the irreducible [unyielding, diehard] ones.”

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February 26, 2025 No Comments
Culture

Anna Fendi’s Guide to Good Wine

Haute Living
Anna Fendi, now in her ninth decade, is a force to be reckoned with. Her boundless creativity, far from diminishing, seems to have reached new heights. As one of the iconic five Fendi sisters, Anna is the daughter of Adele Casagrande and Edoardo Fendi, the founders of FENDI, a name synonymous with luxury in the global fashion industry.

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September 22, 2024 No Comments
Wine

Dry Farming in American Viticulture?

Decanter
Dry-farming has been a fundamental agricultural practice in dry Mediterranean regions for centuries. Lokka points out that going without irrigation there is easier because ‘they have rain’. However, with climate instability, Europe has had to adapt as well. It’s known for restricting irrigation, yet record-breaking heat means many previously anti-irrigation regions now allow it upon regional consensus.

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July 28, 2024 No Comments
Travel

There’s No Place Like Sicily

Yes, Sicily is part of Italy—but any visitor will tell you that Sicily is unmistakably its own place, with an ancient soul and a character shaped by centuries of layered cultures. Alongside its flourishing wine industry, the island is an endlessly fascinating destination to explore, particularly in the less-traveled west.

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July 17, 2024 No Comments
Wine

Italy’s Island Wines

Haute Living San Francisco

Beyond Sardinia’s Vermentino and Pantelleria’s Passito di Pantelleria, there are many little-known island wines to explore. Mother Nature has graced these little slices of paradise with breathtaking panoramas and rare wines that are lively, summery, and highly quaffable.

Beyond Sardinia’s Vermentino and Pantelleria’s Passito di Pantelleria, there are many little-known island wines to explore. Mother Nature has graced these little slices of paradise with breathtaking panoramas and rare wines that are lively, summery, and highly quaffable.

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June 2, 2024 No Comments
Culture

Maximilian Riedel: Riedel’s Eleventh Generation’s Leader

Haute Living San Francisco

Riedel learned firsthand from two of the 11 generations. He shared, “I was a big fan of my grandfather [Claus Josef Riedel] and how he approached business. I’m an even bigger fan of my father and how he conducts business. They gave me enthusiasm and allowed me to shine.”

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March 30, 2024 No Comments
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