How do people discover wine? What proportion of non-involved consumers end up morphing into involved consumers? And how do people make this transition? These are all very interesting questions. The…
Gamay 44, Jean Foillard Morgon 2016
Last night in New Zealand, so it’s time to head to Scotch. A quiet Saturday night there, and a very relaxed vibe. Two very good wines, including this deliciously focused,…
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (5) Sileni and their Pinot Noirs
It’s all change at Sileni, which has just been bought by New Zealand financial service company Booster. Booster have also recently purchased Waimea Estate (Nelson) and Bannockbrae (Central Otago), and…
New York State (7) Anthony Road, Finger Lakes
Anthony Road Vineyard was planted on Seneca Lake in 1973 by the Martini family. The winery as it is now owes its existence to two events. First, John Martini worked…
Pictures from the Marlborough Wine Show Dinner
So I’m in Blenheim, acting as one of the judges at the Marlborough Wine Show. Last night we had the judge’s dinner at Arbour, and it was a splendid occasion….
New York State (6) Bellangelo, Finger Lakes
Chris Missick of Bellangelo recalls how that back in 2005 he attended a summer abroad program in Toulouse, France, while he was studying law. While there, he met a girl,…
Libiamo Amphora Chenin Blanc 2017 Gisborne, New Zealand
This is quite special. It’s an amphora-fermented Chenin Blanc with a dash of Marsanne, that’s on its skins for 222 days, and then pressed and bottled unfiltered with minimal SO2…
Resisting the puritans
When I was much younger, one of my favourite TV shows was the Rowan Atkinson comedy Black Adder, and of the various series, the second, set in Elizabethan England, was…
Cape Wine (7) some more highlights
Some more of the goodies tasted at Cape Wine. Some old friends and new acquaintances. Carinus Rooidrai Chenin Blanc 2017 Swartland, South Africa From 37 year old vines, this is…