Heraclitus was right. You can’t step in the same stream twice. The stream is ever changing and you are changed by your experience of the stream. It’s like that with…
Tara Pinot Noir, a lovely wine from Chile’s Atacama
This is a remarkable wine, made by large producer Ventisquero on a very small scale from vineyards in the Atacama desert, in the far north of the country. It hardly…
My thoughts on the Huet debacle
So, leading Vouvray producer Huet appear to have banned two UK-based wine journalists. Both Chris Kissack and Jim Budd were refused tasting pours by Huet at the recent Salons des…
ViniItaliani, a great London destination for Italian wine
Last Wednesday I made a new discovery (new for me, at least). It’s ViniItaliani, a wine shop/wine bar on the Old Brompton Road in South Kensington. It also acts as…
Two impressive Sauvignons: Bordeaux and Marlborough
I know that it’s not all that cool, but I really love Sauvignon Blanc. Here are two good ones: an oaked Bordeaux example (which is actually a blend with Semillon…
Novelty at the expense of quality?
Star wine writer Jancis Robinson’s latest FT column is worth a read. You can find it here. She is focusing on the quest for novelty in the wine world, and…
Learning to love Nebbiolo: Ar.Pe.Pe Rosso di Valtellina
So I continue in my noble quest to learn to love Nebbiolo (see my previous posts here and here). This time, I am turning to the Valtellina region, a 70…
In Marlborough, day 3, my last in New Zealand
The last day of my New Zealand trip turned out to be a very good one. It began at Te Whare Ra, a small 11 hectare vineyard planted in 1979,…
A unicorn wine, the Clos Joliette Jurancon
I have just written up a tasting of Jurançon Sec held at The Sampler a while ago. You can read it here. One of the wines was truly remarkable. It’s…