Two great recent experiences with Barolo, which I’ve struggled to love a lot in the past. I love the idea of Barolo, but I’ve often found the wines to be…
Some thoughts on Prosecco
Prosecco is one of the wine world’s success stories. I’m drinking one now. It’s the Bella Covina Prosecco from Tesco, which is as cheap as Prosecco gets at £5.85. Is…
Three Vermentinos
I’m quite a fan of the Vermentino grape variety, also known as Rolle in Provence. It makes white wines with character and freshness from warm climates. These wines are all…
Two lovely fizzy Italian reds
Fizzy red wines. Not mainstream, I know, but I quite liked these two examples from Italy. They’re being sold by a retailer new to the UK, Tannico. Paltrinieri Lambrusco di…
Garnacha not Guerra 2015
This is a new wine. Naturally made Garnacha (deliberately chosen as the name to indicate a style difference, rather than the local Cannonau), just 360 bottles produced! It’s such an…
Cantina Giardino Fino ‘Gaia’ 2010 Campania, Italy
I love this wine. I was rummaging around various piles of bottles trying to find something to drink, and I came across this. It was a total surprise: vital, complex,…
Bibi Graetz Testamatta: superb Tuscan Sangiovese
Bibi Gratetz is an arts graduate (he does his own label art) with Norweigan/Israeli parentage. His family owned Castello di Vincigliata in Tuscany, in Fiesole, just north of Florence, and…
Dinner at Noble Rot with Coche, Clos Rougeard, Quintarelli, Roulot, Bachelet and Mugnier
Just before Christmas I had one of the most enjoyable dinners of the year. Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew of Noble Rot invited Neal Martin and I for dinner at…
Dinner at L’Anima
Earlier this week I had dinner at L’Anima, on the Shoreditch edge of the City. It’s modern Italian, and high end. The dining room reflects this, with a sharp, sparse…