The week in pictures

db made a flying visit to Catalunya this week to visit Torres for a whistle stop tour of its impressive efforts to lessen the effects of climate change, led by Miguel Torres – a passionate advocate for the cause. The company began its Torres & Earth programme in 2008 and has already invested €12million in climate change prevention projects. Furthermore, Torres has ensured that 11% of the company’s profits each year are directed to the project to help find further solutions.

Former oceanographer miquel Rosell-Fieschi, in charge of Torre’s climate change prevention programme, talks through the science.

Since 2008, Torres has reduced its carbon emissions per bottle by 16.6%, as of 2016, with the aim of reducing this to 30% by 2020. This sits alongside a host of new experimental projects that have seen Torres work with various organisations and universities on how to capture CO2 from winery activities and reuse or store it safely to prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere and furthering the impact of global warming.

One of several experiments taking place at Torres is its Power to Gas project, which has seen the producer explore ways of using energy from solar panels to produce hydrogen, that can then be transformed into methane by combining it with CO2, and used to fuel tractors.

Outside of the lab, Torres is also working in the vineyard to minimise the effects of climate change on grape growing, and exploring alternative varieties’ resistance to heat and drought to future proof its production.

At its climate change vineyard (not pictured above) Torres is testing the impact of canopy management, training systems, cover cropping, rootstocks, planting density and shade nets on the maturation speed of grape, to discover how best to slow down the maturation period to ensure physiological ripening and phenolic ripening remain in sync in the face of increasing temperatures.

Part of its work has led to the creation of an experimental vineyard at 2,000 masl, using altitude to its advantage, to test the quality of ancestral grape varieties indigenous to the area.

These include the white grape Forcada and red grapes Pirene, Gonfaus, Moneu and Querol (already used as part of a blend in Torres’ Grans Muralles). None of these wines have been released commercially yet, with most in their second or third vintage, but several show real promise. (A full report of Torres’ climate change projects will be posted on db.com in the coming weeks)

The Madeira Wine Institute was in town on Friday last week extol the brilliance of Madeira, the indestructible fortified wine from this volcanic island.

Seven producers’ wines were presented during the masterclass, hosted by wine expert Alexandre Lalas, with highlights including a 30 YO Malmsey from H.M Borges and a 1981 Sercial from Pereira D’Oliveira. Others in the line-up included CAF Mediera Vintners, Blandy’s, Henriques & Henriques, Justino’s and Barbeito.

Monday saw a cocktail preview of London boutique hotel Zetter Townhouse, led by drinks expert Tony Conigliaro. Held at its bar in Clerkenwell, six new cocktails were unveiled, that will be available at its Clerkenwell bar, and Seymour’s’ Parlour in Marylebone, including db’s personal favourite the Pecan – a near-transparent cocktail made with wheat whiskey and toasted pecan milk. Other innovative serves included the Vieux Kir – Perrier Jouët Champagne topped with an oaked yeast liqueur.

Mouton Cadet has been announced as the official wine of golf’s Ryder Cup in 2018. The biennial cup, founded in 1927, sees a team from the US compete against a European team in a series of different formats. Pictured in the centre is Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, on the left is Danish golfer and Europe captain Thomas Bjørn and on the right is American captain Jim Furyk.

This week marked the annual harvest at Azienda Agricola Cecchetto Giorgio with members of the AIPD – the Italian Association for people with Down’s Syndrome. Since 2005, members of the AIPD have harvested their grapes and have helped to make a small number of bottles of wine. The bottles have a special hand-painted label and are on sale every year at the Veneto Pavillion during Vinitaly in Verona.

To celebrate the upcoming Trafalgar Day which celebrates the famous battle that took place on 21 October 1805, Stephen Russell, co-founder of the Copper Rivet Distillery, beside the sea at Chatham in Kent, took to the ocean waves with his Son of a Gun 47.4% English Grain Spirit.

London’s Merchant House has been crowned the winner of the Imbibe Drinks List of the Year 2017, impressing judges with its “well-written and innovatively presented drinks list with a strong design”.

db’s editor-in-chief and resident cycling addict, Patrick Schmitt MW, donned his personalised Nederburg wine t-shirt in support of its #DoYourPart campaign – an initiative that provides bicycles to communities across Africa to increase access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities. Now to tell him he’ll have to get off his bike as we’re on the fourth floor…

Chris Cook celebrates being named Champagne Pol Roger ‘man of the match’ for his performance for Bath Rugby vs Benetton Treviso. Cook’s team beat Benetton Treviso 23-0 in the opening match of the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

photo credit: Jean Vincent Ridon

Team Zimbabwe competed for the first time at the Tasting World Championships in Burgundy last weekend. The plucky minnows came 23rd out of 24 teams who took part (beating Italy into last place) and are also to be the stars of a new documentary film from the team behind ‘Red Obsession’.