Three wines from innovative Aussie producer First Drop (see their website here). They specialize in alternative varieties, but also do a pretty good job with their more conventional wines. The…
Vale Meão 2008: latest release from one of Portugal’s greats
Vale Meão is one of the great Douro estates, responsible for some fantastic wines since their first vintage in 1999. This is the latest release: the 2008, which is a…
A sparkling ice wine – remarkable!
This is a crazy, crazy wine, but it really works. It’s a sparkling ice wine. Inniskillin Vidal Sparkling Ice Wine 2006 Niagara Peninsula, Canada 9% alcohol. Made like an ice…
Sorry to miss the European Wine Bloggers Conference
Today is the European Wine Bloggers Conference in Vienna. I would have loved to attend, but it’s a big clash with half-term, when I have a self-imposed travel ban so…
Lunch at the Anchor and Hope, with a lovely Languedoc red
Very enjoyable lunch today at famed gastropub the Anchor and Hope, on The Cut, within a few long strides of Waterloo Station. It was my first time here, and I…
Rioja, day 3: at last, a vineyard, and a spectacular barrel hall
Sadly, it was the last day in Rioja. Just one visit: LAN. I’d really enjoyed the previous two days, but up till now we hadn’t been shown a single vineyard….
Logroño tapas crawl
So it was off to Calle Laurel for the compulsory tapas bar crawl last night. It was Tuesday, so it wasn’t terribly busy, but there was enough of a buzz…
Rioja, day 2
Day two in Rioja has been another day of contrasts. Three very different wineries, reflecting the spread that you find in this region. First up, La Riojanas – with a…
Out in Logroño
Dinner last night was at Asador el Tahiti in Logroño. It’s a traditional Riojan restuarant and we ate and drank well. Particularly interesting was Morcilla, which is pig’s blood and…