I had a remarkable tasting a few weeks ago with Marcelo Papa of Concha y Toro. He did an experiment: picking some of the grapes for Marques de Casa Concha…
Hambledon Classic Cuvee, a brilliant new English sparkling wine
Hambledon Vineyard has history. It was established in 1952, the first of the new era vineyards in the UK. The village of Hambledon is also the cradle of the sport…
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014
I’ve tasted this – the new version of the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – three times in the last week. I think it’s one of the best ever. I know…
Two superb whites: Radikon 1993 and Shobrook Giallo 2013
So, on Wednesday evening I had one of the best pizzas I have ever experienced. I met up with buddy and fellow Beer Anorak Daniel Primack for a spot of…
A day in Paris
Although I’m often travelling through it, and have stayed a few times on business, I realized that I hadn’t been a tourist in Paris since I was 15. And some…
Unwritten rules for wine writers
I was recently at a supermarket press tasting, and one of the buyers – new to the game – commented that he was surprised how well we (the wine journos)…
Some highlights from the Waitrose Press Tasting
We wine journos are in the middle of press tasting season at the moment, with all the major supermarkets showing off their ranges. Buying standards for UK supermarkets are very…
Fine wines with lunch, old-school wine trade style
These wines were recently tasted at a rather fine lunch at La Trompette, which is a great restaurant. It went on a long time, as you can imagine. I’m always…
Sorry for the absence
Apologies for being a week without updating this blog. Normally I update daily, so this has been very uncomfortable for me. It was a technical issue to do with the…