Back to the International Wine Challenge today. This week we are judging the wines that passed from last, awarding them medals, and in a few cases demoting some. Had another…
Natural wines: what are they, exactly?
Spent a good portion of today at the Real Wine tasting convened by UK importer (of mainly natural wines) Les Caves de Pyrene. Rarely have I spent a day tasting…
Photos from Napa
Just posted my pictures from California’s Napa Valley on the photo section of wineanorak.com. It’s a beautiful place in autumn when the sun is out. I’ve just finished an article…
Should wine blogs be just about wine? Is personal stuff appropriate?
One of the questions that I ask myself about blogging is whether or not to include personal information here, or just to stick to wine. I think a bit of…
Verus Pinot Gris, Slovenia
Very impressed by the Verus wines from Slovenia. They’re deliciously fresh, aromatic and pure, as well as being beautifully packaged. They are commercially astute and well priced to boot. Here’s…
An impressive Chilean Pinot Noir
After posting on a delicious flight of Chilean Pinot Noirs at the International Wine Challenge this week, I was really pleased to find this gem. It’s a beautifully supple, quite…
IWC: end of the first week
I’d forgotten what it was like to leave work on a Friday afternoon. When you are a freelancer, every day is weekend. But after spending five days working at the…
Getting into the rhythm of the IWC, and some perks
The first two days of the IWC were quite tough. Day 3, yesterday, was a bit easier, and I had enough energy to go out to play football last night….
A lager with flavour, from Italy
There’s more to beer than just cask-conditioned ale. Here’s a reasonably serious lager from Italy which is part of Marks & Spencer’s new-ish beer range. Titled simply ‘Italian Lager’, it…