I have seen a lot of vineyards in my relatively short career, but this one was one of the most remarkable. Flint on flint. Back in 2009, Domaine Michel Redde…
Who decides the news agenda? The Internet?
A small story becomes a big story because of the Internet. The recent media frenzy over a passenger being removed from an overbooked United flight has been interesting to watch….
Some profound(?) thoughts prompted by this Loire trip
Terroir is a creative act between people and a place. Terroir only exists in the context of a wine, and wine is a creative act as a winegrower seeks to…
In the Centre Loire: Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Coteaux du Giennois
For the last couple of days I have been in the Centre Loire, visiting Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and the Coteaux du Giennois. These three neighbouring appellations are home to some compelling…
Benjamin Bridge Brut 2011 Nova Scotia, Canada
Had another opportunity to try this beauty. I visited Benjamin Bridge last year, and I’m really impressed with what they are doing. These wines have very high acidity, so they…
The ultimate vodka martini at Dukes
After Friday’s lunch at Berry Bros & Rudd, Douglas Blyde persuaded Katherine Houston and I that we needed a vodka martini at Dukes. He was right. This was the best…
A couple of lovely Chardonnays: Kutch and Bachelet-Monnot
Had a couple of lovely Chardonnays side by side: one from Burgundy, the other from the cool Sonoma Coast. Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2011 Burgundy, France Lemony and…
Coutet 2005: let’s drink more Sauternes
Had this last night. Lovely wine. Sauternes/Barsac is one of the great sweet wines of the world and it is currently undervalued. While red Bordeaux has steadily got more expensive,…
Jay Rayner on the aesthetics of wine
The dangers of commenting outside your sphere of expertise were illustrated last week in a couple of tweets from food expert and restaurant critic Jay Rayner. Ok, my personal taste…