These two wines are made by Matt Gregory, wine merchant turned winemaker who has adopted the name ‘The English Winemaker’. I met him in Christchurch last year when I was…
Choosing a red wine list for Ramada hotels
Towards the end of last year, one of the fun jobs I had was working with the Ramada hotel chain to produce a red wine list. The idea was to…
Alternative Bordeaux (6) Dubourdieu: white wines, dry and sweet
So far, in looking at alternative Bordeaux, I’ve explored organics and biodynamics, taken a tour around some of the less well known appellations, and also considered natural approaches to winemaking….
Mas de Daumas Gassac 2011 – a Languedoc legend
Mas de Daumas Gassac has an important place in the history of French wine. Back in the 1970s they showed the world that serious wine could be made in the…
Sauvignon Blanc: comparing good examples from the Loire and New Zealand
Awareness days. There are just so many of them. Sauvignon Blanc Day is 3rd of May. Whatever you think about these awareness days for grape varieties, this was an…
Seven Syrahs
A few days ago I wrote about a blind tasting of South African Syrah. These are the other Syrahs we tasted blind, alongside the South Africans. There was no logic…
Why are most wine lists so bad? Can anything be done?
Most restaurant wine lists aren’t fit for purpose. They drive me to despair. Look, I’m a wine professional. I know a bit. But in most restaurants, faced with their list…
Dinner at Neolokal, Istanbul
Neolokal is a stunning restaurant. Last night I dined there and had a great experience. It considers itself to be a ‘bridge between the past and the future’, modernising traditions in…
Why wine is a bit like cricket, and both are fabulous
For the last two weeks I have been judging wine at the Oval. It’s one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world, and was home to the first…