I am trying to stay positive during this Covid-19 lockdown. Rationing my media use, not trying to blame this disaster on politicians, and not looking too far into the future….
An altered sense of smell: every wine professional’s biggest fear
For a while I was scared. While I was ill, I noticed that something strange was happening with my palate. I could taste food OK, although maybe there was a…
My brush with COVID-19
So I’ve had COVID-19, it seems. It started the Saturday morning before last when I woke up feeling lousy. I’d not felt 100% on Friday, but put it down to…
Unsettling times
How quickly things change. Only last week I had a hectic social schedule in London, out five nights out of six, having a great time with colleagues and friends. Covid-19…
Forged from struggle
Chaim Potok’s two novels, My Name is Asher Lev and The Gift of Asher Lev, follow the struggle of an artist from the Hasidic Jewish community as he seeks to…
Arthur Goode, 1939-2020
Today, at 11 am, my father died. The news was not unexpected. He’d been very unwell for some time. Over the last few years we got to say goodbye to…
Forget wine and food matching: matching wine and people is the thing
We talk a lot about food and wine matching. [Aside: I tend not to be too precise about this: I choose a really nice wine that is quite food friendly…
In Uruguay
My first time in Uruguay. I didn’t know what to expect when I came here: I’d tried a few Uruguayan wines, but that was it. My first impressions? It’s a…
Flying disasters
I fly a lot, so it’s not surprising that I should have my share of flying disasters. Tonight I’ve just had another. The picture above is the view standing outside…