How do we organize and understand the world around us? We do it through classifying objects, which we assign properties to. And then we understand our environment through these objects….
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant 2009, a controversial wine
This is a controversial wine. It’s from biodynamic high-priest Nicolas Joly, who in Clos de la Coulee de Serrant possesses what is universally acknowledged as a special terroir. It’s just…
Château Sénéjac 2009
Relatively affordable yet really good Bordeaux is a rare thing. There’s good quality cheap Bordeaux, and high quality expensive Bordeaux, but I don’t encounter much between the two. Is that…
De Bortoli Shiraz Viognier 2004, the benefits of cellaring
There’s something to be said for buying a few bottles of the same wine, then cellaring them, and revisiting them at intervals. It’s tremendously rewarding if the wine ages well. This…
Thornbridge Jaipur, a wonderful beer
Love this beer. It’s Thornbridge’s Jaipur, an IPA that has a LOT of hops, but avoids just being showy, with lovely citrussy freshness and precise acidity. It’s quite bitter, but…
A brilliant South African Sauvignon, The Infidel
When I bumped into Pieter de Waal in the Loire last month, he gave me a bottle of one of his wines to bring home. I am glad he did:…
Yeasts and volatile sulfur compounds, a graphic
I’ve attempted to produce a simplified graphic showing the role of yeasts in producing volatile sulfur compounds, which are responsible for ‘reduction’ problems in wine. The big oval here is…
Video: epic blind rose tasting
The sun was shining yesterday on our family gathering, so it was a great chance to do a blind rose tasting, looking at Provence rose ranging in price from £8…
Graphic: wine flavour chemistry and the perception of wine
Just working on this graphic, showing the relationship between wine flavour chemistry and the perception of wine. Flavour chemicals come directly from grape must, from bacteria and yeasts directly, and…