If I were to set wine exams, I think I’d ask some rather different questions. Let’s think of a few. 1. Tell me about a wine that you once fell…
Niagara falls, four ways
One of the side benefits of judging the National Wine Awards of Canada in Niagara Falls was the chance to spend some quality time with big water. Below is a…
Niagara wine country, Canada, day 3
Just two visits today. But they were good ones. First, Thomas Bachelder, for the second time on this trip, and that’s no bad thing. Thomas is a talented dude, and…
In the Niagara wine region, Canada, day 2
Another day of visits. And they were all good. First of all, I headed off to Flat Rock cellars, hosted by winemaker Jay Johnston. Flat Rock are Riesling specialists, but…
In the Niagara wine region, day 1
The first day of my visits in Niagara wine country was an interesting one. I met up with Michael Godel, a really nice Canadian wine journalist, and we did some…
Cloudburst: the remarkable emergence of a cult Margaret River wine brand
Cloudburst is a really interesting and slightly controversial wine project in Margaret River. Interesting? Because the wines are so good. Controversial? Because of high prices, despite the lack of any…
In Canada: Niagara Falls
I’m in Canada, with younger son Louis. The reason? The National Wine Awards of Canada 2015, organized by WineAlign. I had so much fun being a guest judge last year…
Gamay Focus, 3 – Orofino 2013, Similkameen Valley, BC, Canada
For number 3 in this Gamay focus, we are heading to the Similkameen Valley in Canada’s British Columbia. It was served at a small dinner I attended last night in…
Gamay Focus, 2 – Metrat La Scandaleuse 2013
I’m going to begin focusing on Gamay a bit over the next few months, because it’s an underdog grape that really intrigues me. So, here we go, with the first…