Had a nice lunch in the garden with Robin and Nikolai. I brought Champagne, and they stepped things up a notch with two famous Italians. Champagne Bruno Paillard Assemblage 2009…
Visiting Prosecco producer Canevel
This was my first time in Prosecco country. Prosecco is a phenomenon. It has come from almost nowhere to being one of the most visible of all sparkling wines (selling…
Visiting Serego Alighieri, Valpolicella
Last November, as well as visiting Masi, I also visited Serego Alighieri, where we were hosted by Massimilla di Serego Alighieri. She’s a direct descendant of Dante. The Serego Alighieri…
Meeting Mr Amarone: how Masi’s Sandro Boscaini reinvented appassimento
Sandro Boscaini is the sixth generation of his family to head up the family winery. I visited to taste the Masi range, witness the grape drying process they have specialized…
Two natural Italian wines from The English Winemaker
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…
Ayunta: lovely wines from Etna, Sicily
Etna, in Sicily, is a special place for wine. And Ayunta is an exciting project in the region. I caught up with the man behind Ayunto, Filippo Mansion, to find…
Two from Handford: Schaal Confluence and Garnacha not Guerra
I popped into Handford Wines yesterday to say hello to Greg Sherwood, and have a look round. If there is a merchant in London who has a better array of…
Eating and drinking in London: The Wine Place
I recently popped into The Wine Place in South Kensington to taste through some of their range. It’s a really nice space, over two floors, and as well as operating…
Video: visiting Masi, masters of appassimento
Masi are one of the leading wine producers in the Veneto region of northern Italy. They are specialists in appassimento, the process of drying freshly harvested grapes on racks for…