On the hottest day of the year, my first visit to the River Café. I know: it’s almost inexcusable not to have been before. This is a London institution. Originally…
In Marlborough, where big can be good: Rapaura Springs
Rapaura Springs is a somewhat surprising rising star in the Marlborough wine scene. They are owned by the Naylon family, and I tasted with Brendan Naylon and Sam Harrop who…
Could we smell better? Much better?
Do we have only very limited access to the sensory information that we are receiving all the time? As a wine taster, I’m particularly intrigued that my senses are capable…
In Niagara, Canada: Rosewood
Rosewood is a family run business. The vineyards were planted in 2003, the first harvest was 2006 and the doors opened in 2008. I visited with GM William Roman, and…
Caballo Loco No 1 – a piece of modern Chilean history
If you buy lots of wine, then it’s common to overlook bottles, only to encounter them in some nook or cranny of the cellar and think, ‘I should have drunk…
In Niagara: 13th Street
13th Street winery celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018. It was started in 1998 by four friends who were amateur winemakers, two of whom were grape growers. After a decade,…
Separating out the wine and the experience of the wine
There is the wine, and there is the experience of the wine. As writers and critics, when we assess wine, we try to do something unusual. We separate the two,…