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…
Icon wines at The Sampler, including Latour 82, La Chapelle 78 and Ygay 59
Each year The Sampler put some high-end ‘icon’ wines on their enomatic machines. It’s a real highlight tasting through them, and this year was no exception. The highlights included the…
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 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…
In the Veneto watching grapes dry
I’m in the Veneto, in northern Italy for a couple of days. First stop was Masi. They are specialists in Amarone, and we got to see the grapes – Corvina,…
Some nice wines at The Remedy – Don Chisciotte Fiano, Salvaje Blanco, Vin Nu, Oliveras Verdelho 12
Popped into The Remedy a few days ago for a drink with Mr Primack. We had some interesting things, as you’d expect. Here are my notes. Barranco Oscuro Salvaje Blanco…