Spent this morning judging at Laithwaites Experts’ Choice tasting, held at the Worx in Parsons Green. The concept? Laithwaites staff do a pre-screening of their range and then present around…
Brancott’s New ‘Icon’ Sauvignon Blanc
I didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked at the New Zealand trade tasting today, but I’m glad that Patrick Materman (above) grabbed me to pour an exciting…
Video: Central Otago wine region from the air
A short film from a helicopter flight over the Central Otago wine region:
Video: gorging on paua and rock lobster in New Zealand
Here’s a film that should make you feel a little hungry. It’s of a memorable breakfast that I shared with some fellow wine writers (Oz Clarke, Tyson Stelzer and Joe…
Tasting versus drinking: does the trade get it wrong?
The wine trade tasting calendar starts in earnest tomorrow, and we’re entering a busy period, kicking off with far more 2009 Burgundy tastings than anyone can reasonably justify. If you…
Planeta’s first Mount Etna wine: the Carricante
Almost two years ago I visited Sicilian producer Planeta. One thing they talked about was their new project on Mount Etna, which has some really interesting terroirs. At this stage,…
Video: Veranda’s vineyards in Chile’s Bio Bio
A short film of the Veranda vineyards in Bio Bio, a cool climate region in the south of Chile. These include a couple of really remarkable new Pinot Noir vineyards….
Portuguese wines at half price
Just a quick alert. Online retailer of Portuguese wines Castas are having a half-price sale of some rather good Portuguese wines, and unlike most ‘half-price’ sales, this is a genuine…
Wine writers: making money on the internet?
Faced with loss of column inches (and sometimes even columns), many of my winewriting peers are now looking to see how they can make money on the internet. Of course,…