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Dorona di Venezia: The Lost Grape of the Floating City

There are some grapes that disappear quietly. They are replaced by more profitable varieties, easier wines, bigger yields, and cleaner stories. And then there are grapes like Dorona di Venezia. Dorona did not simply fade away. It was nearly swallowed by water, forgotten beneath the mist of the Venetian lagoon, hidden behind monastery walls, abandoned gardens, and tiny islands that most visitors to Venice never see. Today, most people think of Venice as canals, masks, fading p

aubrey graf

Apr 214 min read

The Ghost of Glera: Discovering Ancient Vines at Bear Creek Redwoods, California

There are moments in wine that feel less like research and more like time travel. A few weeks ago, while hiking with my dad through the rolling hills of California’s Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, I found one of those moments. Tucked among the trees and overgrown pathways stood an old brick trellis, nearly hidden beneath a curtain of vivid green grape leaves. The structure itself felt like something from another century—weathered, elegant, and quietly reclaiming its

aubrey graf

Apr 64 min read