Garnacha, aka Grenache, is a variety that can tend to soupy lushness when it’s grown in warm climates. Here, in Spain’s Navarra, from old vines, it has produced a really…
Running a Sherry and Port class
This morning I headed into London to run a Sherry and Port session for Hakkasan’s (high-end London restaurant) staff training. It was an interesting class, and I was introducing most…
Brilliant red and white Rioja
These two wines are brilliant. Rioja is a frustrating region: some great old vineyards, but average quality dreadfully low. However, like all leading wine regions, there remains a core of…
Naiades: a serious Spanish white
Spain, like Portugal, is best known for its red wines. But it is exciting to see some serious Spanish whites emerging. Like this: a thrillingly complex expression of the Verdejo…
Striking but wonderful white Rioja
These two vintages of Finca Allende’s white Rioja took me by surprise. I’ve not had all that many good experiences of white Rioja (this is largely because of winemaking choices,…
Tio Pepe Fino ‘En Rama’ – we like!
This is fantastic. It’s a special bottling of Gonzalez Byas’ Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, taken from the cask when the flor (the layer of yeast cells growing on the surface…
A thrillingly good, inexpensive Mencia
Mencia, the red grape of the Bierzo region in the northwest of Spain, is the same as Portugal’s Jaen. And it’s a grape I really like. Now this wine is…
Video: Fino Sherry is a perfect summer drink
Here’s a short film where I taste two rather good Fino sherries.
Making Sherry sexy: Equipo Navazos
Equipo Navazos make mindblowing Sherries. I’m drinking one at the moment, and it’s a life-enhancing experience. It’s Manzanilla No 16 – powerful, intense with nuts, herbs, minerals, citrus notes and…