Nicolas Belfrage MW (19 July 1940 – 17 September 2022) was a British

Master of Wine Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowle ...

, a wine writer and considered one of the foremost experts on

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

Life and career

Belfrage was born in Los Angeles in 1940, the son of British socialist writer

Cedric Belfrage Cedric Henning Belfrage (8 November 1904 – 21 June 1990) was an English film critic, journalist, writer and political activist. He is best remembered as a co-founder of the radical US weekly ''National Guardian''. Later Belfrage was referenced ...

and his wife Molly Castle. He grew up in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and later in London where he was educated at St Paul's School on a scholarship. He studied French and Italian at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. He worked with Italian wine, either in the trade or as a writer, since the early 1970s and qualified as a Master of Wine in 1980, the first American to achieve this honor. Belfrage has contributed to publications such as ''

Decanter A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters, which have a varied shape and design, have been traditionally made from glass or crystal. Their volume is usually equ ...

'', ''

The World of Fine Wine ''The World of Fine Wine'', abbreviated ''WFW'', is a British quarterly publication for a wealthy audience of wine enthusiasts and collectors. Originally published by Quarto Magazines Ltd, and now published by Progressive Media International, the ...

'', ''Wein Gourmet'', and shared a column in '' Harpers Magazine'' with

Franco Ziliani # Franco Ziliani (Francesco Ziliani, born 09/23/1956 in Milan, died in 2021) is an Italian journalist, blogger and wine critic, with a specialty in Italian wines since 1985. He has contributed to several periodicals including ''Decanter'', ''A Tav ...

, with whom he has also collaborated on contributions to

Tom Stevenson Tom Stevenson (born 1951) is a British wine writer and critic. Described by his colleagues as one of today's most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world's leading authority on Champagne.christies.coChristie’s Champagne Ma ...

's annual ''Wine Report''. For several years he has contributed the Italy section to Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book as well as to the Oz Clarke Pocket Wine Book. Belfrage was involved commercially in wine since the early 1970s as buyer for various specialist wine merchants. In 1996 he founded Vinexus, a specialist Italian wine importer. Belfrage's sister was

Sally Belfrage Sally Belfrage (October 4, 1936 – March 14, 1994) was a United States-born British-based 20th century non-fiction writer and international journalist. Her writing covered turmoils in Northern Ireland, the American Civil Rights Movement and her ...

, his uncle was

Bruce Belfrage Bruce Belfrage (30 October 1900 – August 1974) was an English actor and BBC radio newsreader.Obituary in ''The Times'', ''Mr Bruce Belfrage'', 17 August 1974, p.14 He was casting director at the BBC between 1936 and 1939, and founded th ...

and his great uncle was

Bryan Powley Bryan Gilbert Powley (16 September 1871 – 18 December 1962) was a British stage and film actor. He began his career in the era of silent film. Life Powley was born on 16 September 1871 in Reading, the son of the Rev. Matthew Powley and Louis ...

. Belfrage relinquished United States citizenship in 2020. Belfrage died from complications of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

on 17 September 2022, at the age of 82. He was survived by two daughters: Beatriz Belfrage (born 1988) and Ixta Belfrage (born 1991).

Published works

* ''Life beyond Lambrusco: understanding Italian fine wine'' (1985) * ''Barolo to Valpolicella: The Wines of Northern Italy'' (1999) * ''Brunello to Zibibbo: The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy'' (2001) * ''The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy (2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belfrage, Nicolas 1940 births 2022 deaths People educated at St Paul's School, London Alumni of University College London Masters of Wine Wine critics People who renounced United States citizenship American emigrants to England American people of English descent