So the International Wine Challenge has begun. As a panel chair, I’m signed up for all two weeks of judging. I really enjoy it, working with a different panel each…
G Descombes Regnie 2011, a serious Beaujolais
I just love this wine. I know that’s not very profound, but it’s utterly delicious. It’s one of the naturally made new wave Beaujolais wines, and it’s just so good….
The mystery of soils and wines, part 2
Minerality is, for me, one of the most interesting concepts in the world of wine. ‘Minerality’ is a really useful descriptor; many of us use it frequently in our tasting…
Pay us money, and we’ll give your clients coverage
Just seen on Twitter: an extract from an e-mail received by a member of Chris Mitchell’s team at CUBE (a leading UK-based wine trade PR and events company), from a wine…
Beer: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Just back from football and rehydrating with this beer. Now I like Sierra Nevada’s regular pale ale – it’s one of the beers that kicked off the US craft beer…
The mystery of soils and wine, part 1
To the ancients, the idea that plants are formed from the soil would have seemed self-evident. The communion between the roots and the earth suggests that the composition of plants,…
Savage Wines, a new star in the South African wine scene
I’ve got to know Duncan Savage a bit over the last few years. He’s the winemaker at Cape Point wines, where he has been doing superb work for quite a…
A profound Valpolicella Ripasso
I have been sampling this wine over the last three nights, and it has got better each time. It’s made by Nicola Ferrari (a bloke – in Italy, Nicola isn’t…