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WINE OF THE WEEK: Nicosia Fondo Filara Etna Bianco 2017, Etna, Sicily, Italy
£12.50, The Wine Society This mouthwatering, mineral dry white combines two of my enthusiasms: wines from volcanic soils and island...
Aug 16, 2018


Around the world in rosé: 16 rosés from four continents in every shade and shape
Alphonse Mellot Le Paradis Sancerre Rosé 2017, France Ravishing Pinot Noir rosé from one of Sancerre's great wine families. Long, slow...
Aug 15, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Zalze Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2016, Western Cape, South Africa
£6 on offer, Morrisons and Asda A richly fruity, spicy red that's a good buy even when not on offer but is a bargain at the offer prices...
Aug 9, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Jeroboams White Burgundy 2016, Bourgogne, France
£17.95, Jeroboams This is one of a handful of wines Jeroboams launched under its own label for the first time this year. It's made in the...
Aug 2, 2018


Discovering a little-known gem: Okanagan Valley, the world's northernmost wine region
My first visit to Canada at the beginning of June took me to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, the world’s northernmost wine...
Jul 26, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa En Rama, Jerez, Spain
£11.95 (37.5cl), Lea & Sandeman; £12.49 (37.5cl), Martinez Wines Outstanding Manzanilla, aptly named and great value for such quality....
Jul 26, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva 2009, Rioja, Spain
£25–£29, Laithwaites, Swig, Armit Vina Ardanza is one of the true classics of Rioja. It's been around for 76 years and each vintage has...
Jul 19, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine de Mourchon Loubié Rosé 2017, Séguret Côtes du Rhône Villages, France
£10.95–£13.99, The Wine Society, Exel Wines, The Black Dog Wine Co (UK), Averys of Bristol The McKinlay family's Loubié rosé, is always...
Jul 12, 2018


How to become a winemaker at a top Champagne house at the age of 27
Caroline Fiot in the garden of Champagne Ruinart, where she is a winemaker Oddly, until last week I had never visited Ruinart in Reims....
Jul 6, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Maison Dominique Piron Fleurie 2017, France
£14.49/£12.99, Laithwaites There are other summer reds, but few hit the spot as well as a good Beaujolais and I'm especially pleased to...
Jul 5, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Haut les Mains 2017, Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France
£6.49, Waitrose and waitrosecellar.com An aromatic dry white from the south of France with the freshness and lusciousness of a perfectly...
Jun 28, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Cambria Benchbreak Pinot Noir 2013, Santa Maria Valley, California
£21.99–£23.99, Ministry of Drinks, Mitchells Wines, Noel Young Wines California wines don't feature here as often as I would like, or as...
Jun 21, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Alovini Le Ralle Basilicata Rosato 2017, Basilicata, Italy
£8.95, The Wine Society Provence rosés have done such a clever job of persuading people that pale rosés are both drier and more...
Jun 14, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2017, Clare Valley, South Australia
£17.55–£21.99, Exel Wines, Noel Young WInes, No2 Pound Street, Loki Wine Why oh why are we so resistant to Riesling in the UK? On second...
Jun 7, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Paolo Leo Primitivo di Manduria 2016, Puglia, Italy
£8.24 on offer, Waitrose and Ocado I originally chose a new Argentine Malbec for this week, Tabu 2016 made by Luigi Bosca (fragrant,...
May 30, 2018


The white wine that thinks it's a red: Santorini Assyrtiko
No one knows quite how many indigenous grape varieties Greece has, because so many take different names in different regions and have...
May 30, 2018


From wine book editor to Winemaker of the Year – 5-minute Q&A with Emma Rice
I first met Emma Rice when she was the editor of the second edition of my book Discovering Wine. She went on to become one of the UK's...
May 29, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Bluebell Vineyard Hindleap Rosé Brut 2014, England
£29.95, Bluebell Vineyard Estates English Wine Week starts on Saturday. There's no guarantee of good weather, especially as there's a...
May 24, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Campo di Sasso Insoglio del Cinghiale 2016, Toscana, Italy
£21.50, Corney & Barrow I’ve drunk earlier vintages of this opulent, satin-smooth red at the estate with wild boar (the local cinghiale...
May 17, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Te Awa Left Field Albariño 2017, Gisborne, New Zealand
£12.99, Cambridge Wine Merchants If you’re an Albariño fan, you’ll love this wine, as long as it’s not the saline mineral character that...
May 10, 2018
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