There was a storm! Trees fell down! It was supposed to be summer, but this particular Friday night didn’t want to go to plan. Over dinner at Amisfield’s restaurant, a…
Domaine de Fa, Beaujolais with a northern Rhône twist
Back in 2013 the northern Rhône based Graillot family bought 5 hectares in Beaujolais – a vineyard called En Besset, just at the southern tip of the crus near Saint…
The wines of David Duband, Burgundy
I met with David Duband over dinner at Noble Rot. He’s imported into the UK by Keeling Andrews, the agency arm with the same ownership as the restaurant. David is…
Central Otago (15) Domaine Thomson
David and PM Hall-Jones are based in Hong Kong, but have two wineries: one in Central Otago, and the other in Gevrey Chambertin. In Central, they planted 14 hectares of…
Nagano region, Japan (14) Domaine Sogga/Obusé Winery
This was my second visit with a winery that I’d classify as Nagano’s best at the moment. Domaine Sogga, also known as Obusé Winery, is based in Obusé and is…
Nagano region, Japan (13) Saint Cousair
We arrived at St Cousair just before sunset on a crisp winter’s day. This is a winery with a view, perched on the top of a hill. There’s an interesting…
Some highlights from the Waitrose press tasting
I’ve just spent two afternoons tasting through the range of Waitrose, a UK-based supermarket. The range is varied and some of the buying is quite brave and imaginative, especially when…
Gaia Wild Ferment Assyrtiko 2018 Santorini, Greece
Santorini, the well known Greek island, is famous for its Assyrtiko wines, made from vines grown with one of the most distinctive viticultural methods out there (the Santorini ‘kouloura’). This…
Robert Parker retires
It has been announced today that the world’s most famous wine critic has retired. The critic in question, Robert Parker, pretty much invented the genre, and was the first to…