White Beauty: a Tuscan debut
Wine exam question: Explain what is meant by white Sangiovese. When I first heard about a Sangiovese bianco, I didn’t know if we were...
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- Feb 12, 2018
Vermú, Vermut, Vermouth
Paso-Vermú, a new hand-crafted Spanish Vermouth made by an English couple in Somontano. The striking artwork is by Matt Sewell Strictly...
- Jan 15, 2018
The changing face of Txakoli
Hot-foot from a trip to Basque Spain at the end of October, I postponed the idea of a blog enthusing about Txakoli (aka Chacolí) on the...
- Sep 18, 2017
Age shall not wither them: 150-year-old Aglianico vines and a vertical tasting
Antonio Capaldi, president of Feudi di San Gregorio (left) with agronomist and CEO Pierpaolo Sirch; I wasn't the only one to photograph...
- Aug 15, 2017
If I had a vineyard, it would be in...
Until a couple of weeks ago, I’d never seriously wanted a vineyard of my own, but I came back from a trip and found myself frenetically...
- Jul 11, 2017
Assyrtiko steps out of Greece and into Australia
I like classic wines made from so-called noble grape varieties as much as anyone, but there’s a thrill of a different kind in wines that...
- Apr 12, 2017
Ten Years On: tasting top Bordeaux 2007
Fruitless it may be, but I couldn’t help speculating recently how the 2007 Bordeaux red wines would have turned out if this vintage had...
- Mar 15, 2017
Wine with Food: what to drink with pork
Pork dishes in four Michelin starred restaurants (clockwise from top left): Duke of Berkshire barbecued pork ribeye, baked potato, sorrel...
- Mar 1, 2017
Credit Where Credit is Due: Hawke's Bay's stellar Chardonnays and a debt to Australia
Hawke's Bay is producing stellar Chardonnays, some from vineyards within spitting distance of the Pacific Ocean. Left and centre above,...
- Jan 9, 2017
Beaujolais: The Comeback Kid
The famous windmill that gave its name to Moulin-à-Vent, one of the ten crus of Beaujolais I was slightly wary of showing a Beaujolais to...
- Oct 29, 2016
Is co-fermentation the new black for Port?
Co-fermenting – fermenting different grape varieties together happened by default in the past It was a while since I’d been in the Douro...
- Oct 7, 2016
The Next Big Thing...
This is the sort of piece I normally write at the close of the year, but I have more than enough material and deserving wines to mention...
- Aug 30, 2016
Drinking history
45 years old and still in perfect health Drinking history: there are times when only a well-worn phrase will do. I’ve just had one of...
- Jul 27, 2016
Stock up while you still can at The Wine Society's shop in Montreuil
I joined The Wine Society as a student. Without doubt it was the wisest expenditure of my three undergraduate years (OK, the only wise...
- Jul 2, 2016
Top, Top Tuscans: on the Masseto Merlot trail
Ornellaia and Masseto are close siblings but very different wines, as I discovered on a recent visit All planted to Merlot – the Masseto...
- Jun 2, 2016
The Golden Age of Champagne
Vins Clairs from the great 2015 vintage, some of which will go into Cristal in the current, new Golden Age of Champagne Rather a quaint...
- Apr 28, 2016
Go Grow it on a Mountain: extreme winemaking in Chile
Tabalí's winemaker Felipe Müller East goes to extremes in Chile: first he planted vineyards within spitting distance of the Pacific...
- Mar 25, 2016
Is Champagne a Wine for Food? A light-bulb moment
Winter trips to Champagne can be a bit nippy. Perishingly cold, actually (cue: violins). And tasting dozens of vins clairs, the region’s...
- Feb 28, 2016
Blend it like Johnson... or making the most of leftovers
As I said a few weeks back, in what turned out to be my most popular Tweet ever @joannasimon, England’s chief medical officer and I...
- Jan 28, 2016
What I admire about wine: integrity, authenticity, purity and character
Stop Press! 14 April, 2016: I'm delighted to report that these wines are now available at £19.95 per bottle from winesensations.co.uk...