I’m quite a Gimonnet fan, so I was delighted to find this in a wine shop in Reims at a sensible price. It’s just beautiful. 2005 isn’t the best ever…
In Reims, buying Champagne
I’ve been here in Reims since Friday, drawn here by my growing love of Champagne. It has been nice to explore the town a bit, and my self-imposed rule is…
Video: drinking Champagne Dom Pérignon 2004 and talking fizz
So, I open a bottle of Champagne Dom Pérignon with brother in law William Beavington, and we drink it, talk about it, and have a broad-ranging discussion about Champagne more…
Dinner with Camille Lapierre and natural Beaujolais
On Monday evening I caught up with Camille Lapierre, of domaine Marcel Lapierre, which she runs with her brother Mathieu. The domaine was founded by their grandfather, who was one…
The new releases from Testalonga, one of South Africa’s most interesting wineries
Caught up with Craig Hawkins to try the new releases from Testalonga, one of South Africa’s most interesting and bravest wineries. Craig and Carla left the safety of being based…
At the Real Wine Fair
Yesterday and today (Monday), it’s the Real Wine Fair. This is one of two large natural wine fairs that takes place annually in London, and it’s completely, utterly fabulous. Around…
The Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, an important wine for Chile
This is an important wine for Chile. Marcelo Papa, chief winemaker with Concha y Toro, has been on a journey away from excessive ripeness. He has been picking as much…
The Wine Show: at last, wine on mainstream TV in the UK, but is it any good?
So, wine is on mainstream TV. A new series of 13 one-hour episodes has just started airing on prime time Sunday evening ITV4, and will be repeated the following weekend…
Two Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos: Billaud Simon and Louis Michel
Over the last couple of years I have grown to love Chablis. Its appeal is a little less obvious than many other expressions of Chardonnay, but the best wines are…