Just back from the launch of a new book, The Wine Opus. I’m too tired to talk about that now, but will report in depth tomorrow. For now, some pictures…
The Sparkling Wine Review
I’m involved with an exciting new project: the Sparkling Wine Review. It’s a benchmarking exercise for sparkling wines, and this November will see its debut. Producers from around the world send in…
A lovely Languedoc white
I’m on a bit of a Languedoc roll at the moment. Here’s another really delicious, quite serious, yet well-priced wine. And it’s white. La Chapelle de Bebian 2009 Coteaux du…
RTL update
Non wine related: an update on Rosie The Labradoodle. Today we took her to be mated, by her old chum Diglett. Two years ago she had her first litter, and…
A couple of disappointments, one corky
I don’t get all that many cork-tainted wines these days. Part of this is that I’m opening quite a few bottles sealed with alternative closures, but also the proportion of…
What did we do before twitter?
There’s a nice article by Charles Arthur on the Guardian Technology website about Twitter. I can’t remember when I started using Twitter, but now I couldn’t imagine life without it….
Secret Wine: I’ve just voted, but have I got it right?
I’ve just cast my vote in the Secret Wine competition. It’s an innovative idea from French PR agency Clair de Lune. They sent three mystery wines to the first 85…
A brilliant southern French red
This is fantastic. It’s a blend of seven different grape varieties (Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Counoise, Grenache Noir, Terret Gris), made without any oak. And it manages to catch…
Some superb single-quinta Ports
Vintage Port is one of the world’s great wines. It’s also relatively affordable compared with other great wines. But there’s an even better bargain in single-quinta Ports from shoulder vintages…