I love the wine trade. It’s fun, full of interesting people, and it’s incredibly open and friendly. But it is a bit of a bubble. We talk to each other…
The Krug Institute of Happiness
Remarkable dinner last night at the Krug Institute of Happiness. It’s a pop-up restaurant idea based around Krug Champagne, with cooking by Nuno Mendes of Viajante (pictured above), and held…
Reports of vandalism at Soldera
One of Italy’s great wine estates. Soldera, making some mindblowing Brunello di Montalcino, in the south of Tuscany. I reviewed these rare gems a few years ago, after a fantastic…
Valle Pradinhos: a lovely, precise Portuguese white
This wine hits my sweet spot for a number of reasons. First, it’s really nice: a precise, subtly aromatic, fresh white wine with some personality. Second, it’s Portuguese, and I…
The internet, cozy cocoons, confirmation bias and the death of the generalist
I have been leafing through issue 38 of The World of Fine Wine. One article that has got me thinking is a book review by David Williams, who is one…
A brilliant, affordable natural Salice Salentino
Come with me to the south of Italy, and to a winery who I know very little about, and about whom there is very little on the internet. This is…
A great game of rugby followed by some wine
Took older son along to Twickenham today for his first England international. It was against the mighty All Blacks (that’s the New Zealand team for the benefit of those who…
Worm farms, biodynamics and a serious Syrah at Waterkloof
I have just written up a lengthy article on Waterkloof, the Stellenbosch winery owned by UK wine merchant Paul Boutinot. It’s a really great project that just beginning to hit…
Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol: what’s the downside?
The UK is considering Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol, with an initial level of 45 p per unit. Initially, I couldn’t see a downside, from the perspective of a…