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…
An ale festival at the White Horse
Popped down to the White Horse at Hedgerley with two of my brothers-in-law today, to sample some of the guest ales. British ales are among the world’s best beers, but…
On dog ownership…
Going back a few years, I used to include a lot more non-wine-related material in my blog. Truly unprofessional, I admit. But I think it’s important. As a reader, I…
Two fantastic Chardonnays from Yabby Lake
Just tried these two brilliant Chardonnays from Tom Carson at Yabby Lake. Two more examples of the amazing revolution in Aussie Chardonnay that has taken place over the last few years….