There are lots of wine blogs out there, written by all manner of different people: wine merchants, wine producers, wine writers and, of course, interested amateurs. Most – and even…
Off to the Loire, with a nice Sancerre as preparation
Tomorrow I am off to Tours with a crack team of tasters to judge some Sauvignon Blancs. I beleive that our crew includes Clarke, Metcalfe. Atkin and Harrop, among others….
Castelmaure Corbieres, a fabulous Languedoc red at a good price
Really like this wine. Lots of personality, some elegance, and a haunting perfume – and at a good price, too. It’s from a co-op working in partnership with Jean Jean,…
Jean-Marc Sauboua’s 50th bash
Just back from Vintner’s Hall in London, where tonight saw the 50th birthday celebration of Laithwaites/Direct Wines winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua. The quality of the turn-out showed just how highly people…
A natural Burgundy from Alexandre Jouveaux
Some of the most enduring tastes are difficult to acquire. The first time you taste a really strong goat’s cheese, your instinct is to recoil in horror. But persevere, taste…
Beer: St Stefanus Blonde in 75 cl bottle
Now this is a really smart beer. It’s a Belgian beer with aspirational ideas, and it’s now available in 75 cl bottles. Belgian beers are really interesting, but they tend to…
New wines from Jacob’s Creek
I’ve just written up a tasting through the Jacob’s Creek range, including some older bottles. Of particular interest, but perhaps more to the trade than to the majority of readers…
Judging at the Sommelier Wine Awards
Spent the day judging at the Sommelier Wine Awards, which is run by Imbibe magazine. The idea is to award medals to wines that deserve a place on a good wine…
A Malbec from New Zealand that I really like
A lovely, fresh expression of Malbec from a country not normally associated with it: New Zealand. And at a penny under a tenner, this is cracking value for money. M&S Nelson…