In Madrid today at lunch I was sitting next to David Gonzalez, who together with three friends has started a new winery in the DO of Arlanza. It’s a region…
A perfect wine list, what’s yours?
A question. What would your perfect wine list look like? If you were to go into a restaurant and pick up the wine list, what – in an ideal world…
Rhone 2011, a pretty good vintage
It has been a busy day. I was leading a team at the Sommelier Wine Awards in Vauxhall until 3.20 pm, and then I hot footed it along the…
Great lunchtime wines: Kumeu River and Raymond Lafon
Didn’t want to waste some fine white Burgundy samples that I opened, so headed over to brother-in-law Beavington’s house for some Sunday lunch today en famille. More on the Burgundies…
Pinot Noirs from Torii Mor, Oregon
I visited Oregon back in 2008, and one of the wineries I had a look at was Torii Mor. Bid For Wine have managed to secure a stash of these…
An amazing Sauvignon Blanc tasting
As part of the recent launch of Brancott Estate’s Chosen Rows Sauvignon, we were treated to an amazing tasting of top Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. You can read…
A beautiful Viognier
When Viognier is good, it can be great. I remember first being introduced to the grape in the early 1990s. Then, it was quite rare, with a reputation for being…
Domaine Parigot Savigny Les Vergelesses, a lovely red Burgundy
Really impressed by this, a stylish red Burgundy that marries sweet fruit beautifully with a refined savoury dimension. This is something Burgundy does really well: non-fruit complexity. Domaine Parigot Savigny-Les-Beaune…
Three lovely wines: Burgundy, Martinborough and Tasmania
It was a beautiful pre-spring day today in London. I was doing some staff wine training for Hakkasan, the brilliant Chinese-inspired restaurant chain with two London outposts. The first session…