Brilliant prospects

Silvio Denz first became a winemaker in the 1990s. Together with friends, the Swiss entrepreneur acquired a Spanish winery. «But that was more of a hobby,» he says in retrospect. Since his youth, Silvio Denz’s great dream has been to own a château in Bordeaux: «This is where the heart of wine culture beats; this is where the best wines in the world are made,» he says enthusiastically. After his success with Château Faugères, he bought Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in the famous Sauternes appellation in 2014, where he added noble sweet white wines to his portfolio. In this historic château, he not only runs a winegrowing business, but also an elegant hotel. The busy entrepreneur also cherishes the Bordeaux region as an oasis of tranquility. He loves to wield the wooden spoon and to invite his wine enthusiast friends to philosophize with him about great vintages. When tasting, time seems to stand still, «because you surrender completely to the magic of contemplation.» However, he can’t stay in the country for more than a few days. He then finds himself drawn back to London or Zurich, where life pulsates and bustle reigns – because this is where Silvio Denz feels completely at home.

Zarihs? Try reading that backwards. Does it ring a bell? In a manner of speaking, this pun is the shortest version of the story behind this wine. However, because there are some surprises involved, we’d like to tell the story in greater detail. This wine is a joint project between the Spanish winery Bodegas Borsao and the Australian star winemaker Chris Ringland. This down-to-earth, witty and somewhat shy oenologist is exceptionally talented: he has created a number of iconic Australian wines over the past 30 years, which has earned him the nickname, «the Grand Master of Shiraz,» among others. Ringland considers Shiraz – which is called Syrah in Europe – to be a «magic grape» that always offers new possibilities. So naturally, he was thrilled when José Luis Chueca of Bodegas Borsao approached him to work together on a project in Spain. With Zarihs, Ringland has succeeded in fusing the two styles, combining the softness and opulent fruitiness of Australian Shiraz with the freshness and spiciness of European Syrah. The wine soon became the talk of the town and has consistently received high ratings from both Robert Parker and James Suckling. Chris Ringland, the oenologist from «Down Under,» has turned Spanish Syrah on its head. We say: Olé, mate!

An Amarone goes with holiday meals like ornaments on a Christmas tree. No other red wine conveys such a contemplative holiday atmosphere. After all, Amarone is a statement of opulence, elegance and love. It features intense and varied aromas, skillfully balancing sweet fruit with a powerful backbone. This makes this wine the ideal companion for prime cuts of meat. Pressing an Amarone is a matter of the heart. First of all, only the very best grapes are selected. After harvesting, these grapes are dried for a few months – until around Christmas. During this process, the grapes must be carefully turned by hand again and again. This process concentrates juices of the grapes, which explains the intensity and power of this wine. Finally, the wine is aged for several months in oak barrels. Whenever you want to offer your loved ones an exquisite wine, this special wine from Verona is the perfect choice.