Had this the other night at the fab Luca. It’s an English Amaro from Asterley Bros. I nurture a secret affection for Amaros. It stems from my time with the…
Some highlights from the Wine Society (2 of 2)
Some more highlights from The Wine Society tasting on Thursday. Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla NV Spain £5.95 The Wine Society 15% alcohol This is such a bargain. Salty, tangy and yeasty…
Some highlights from The Wine Society (part 1 of 2)
Some lovely wines, as usual, at The Wine Society press tasting yesterday. Here’s my first six-pack of good buys. Lots to like in the £10-15 range, which is handy. Domaine…
Back in South Africa
So I’m back in South Africa. For the next few nights I’m staying in the lovely town of Stellenbosch in the lead-up to Cape Wine 2018, the tri-annual celebration of…
Some wines are just wine
Of many wines there is nothing to be said. They are just wine. It’s foolish to say anything more about them, but still some people try. The world needs good…
On jealousy
Jealousy is one of the ugliest of emotions. A quote, popularly attributed to Gore Vidal, reads thus: ‘It is not enough to succeed; others must fail.’ That sort of professional…
A lovely orange wine from Vermont: Iapetus Tectonic
I met Ethan Joseph of Iapetus Wine in Nova Scotia last year, and recently again with Nathan Kendall in the Finger Lakes. He gave me a bottle of his orange…
Les Tourelles de Longueville 2013 Pauillac, tasted on camera
How does a second wine from a vintage widely regarded to be the worst of the decade shape up? I taste the Tourelles 2013 and discuss this question. And should…
Separating out the wine and the experience of the wine
There is the wine, and there is the experience of the wine. As writers and critics, when we assess wine, we try to do something unusual. We separate the two,…