New Zealand reds are exciting. They’re getting better all the time. I caught this Trinity Hill Syrah – a wine I actually bought with my own money (shock!) – in…
Cost, quality and conspicuous consumption
There’s a rather confusing aspect to fine wine. It has to do with the relationship of price to perception. Let me explain. Now top quality wine costs a reasonable amount…
Two stylish Pinot Noirs from Neudorf
You know, I just love Pinot Noir. And I get a lot of my Pinot pleasure from New Zealand these days. Here are a couple of recent releases from Neudorf,…
Syrah and Serine
I have just written up the wines of Eric Texier, who is doing some really interesting work in the northern Rhone. For me, his two best wines are both made…
Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas, a lovely Portuguese red
I’m a big fan of Baga, a Portuguese red grape variety. It’s the traditional grape of the Bairrada region, and to me it’s reminiscent of Nebbiolo: quite tannic and difficult,…
Two lovely German Rieslings
Like most members of the wine trade I have a fondness for Riesling. It rocks. And especially from Germany: nowhere else makes Rieslings that are quite the same. Here are…
Piggy Bank wines, with a charity/social media angle
Website: http://www.piggybankwine.com/ The concept? Six wines in three pairs, made by talented consultant winemakers, at at £7.99 price point, with 50 pence from the sale of each bottle being given…
Sommelier of the Year competition, and why sommeliers deserve more credit
Back in May I attended the finals of the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2012 competition that I was covering for Sommelier Journal. From a short list of 12,…
Detoxing and abstinence, a considered view
Every now and again I hear on twitter that a wine trade colleague is having a break from the booze. Frequently, this is badged as ‘detoxing’, and is accompanied by…