I’m off to the Loire tomorrow for three days. Today, though, was filled with a mix of activity. After walking the dogs in lovely spring sunshine, I headed off to…
Week two at the International Wine Challenge
I have been busy. Very busy. For two weeks each April, I do what most normal people do, and work a 9-5, with a commute. I commuted into London for…
The mystery of soils and wines, part 5
So where are we up to with soils and wines? We began by exploring the ideas of minerality, and how soils might be having a direct effect on wine quality,…
The mystery of soils and wines, part 4
So, to continue our look at soils and vines, and the making of vines. In part 4, we are going to be focusing on vine roots. Vine roots respond to…
The mystery of soils and wines, part 3
In parts 1 and 2 of this exploration of soils and wines, I looked at the issue of minerality. Do soils influence wines directly by means of root uptake of…
The international wine challenge begins, and some nice beer, too
So the International Wine Challenge has begun. As a panel chair, I’m signed up for all two weeks of judging. I really enjoy it, working with a different panel each…
The mystery of soils and wines, part 2
Minerality is, for me, one of the most interesting concepts in the world of wine. ‘Minerality’ is a really useful descriptor; many of us use it frequently in our tasting…
Pay us money, and we’ll give your clients coverage
Just seen on Twitter: an extract from an e-mail received by a member of Chris Mitchell’s team at CUBE (a leading UK-based wine trade PR and events company), from a wine…
On dog ownership…
Going back a few years, I used to include a lot more non-wine-related material in my blog. Truly unprofessional, I admit. But I think it’s important. As a reader, I…