I’m in Chablis, and it’s very exciting, because this is my first time here. I know: I should have been here before, but even though it’s slightly embarrassing, it’s a…
Eisenberg, Austria: home to elegant Blaufränkisch
I met up with Christoph Wachter, who heads up the Eisenberg DAC group, to taste some wines from the region. The focus of the tasting was on a new initiative:…
Blind tasting exam, MW style: what’s it like?
Yesterday. I joined in a tasting session with two MW students who were doing a test practical paper. I’ve never done a tasting like this before, and to be honest,…
Is UK sparkling wine heading for a glut?
An article in the Guardian yesterday reported on how last year Brits drank a record 4 million bottles of English sparkling wine a year (aside: actually, I should probably call…
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…
Choosing a red wine list for Ramada hotels
Towards the end of last year, one of the fun jobs I had was working with the Ramada hotel chain to produce a red wine list. The idea was to…
Alternative Bordeaux (6) Dubourdieu: white wines, dry and sweet
So far, in looking at alternative Bordeaux, I’ve explored organics and biodynamics, taken a tour around some of the less well known appellations, and also considered natural approaches to winemaking….
Mas de Daumas Gassac 2011 – a Languedoc legend
Mas de Daumas Gassac has an important place in the history of French wine. Back in the 1970s they showed the world that serious wine could be made in the…
Sauvignon Blanc: comparing good examples from the Loire and New Zealand
Awareness days. There are just so many of them. Sauvignon Blanc Day is 3rd of May. Whatever you think about these awareness days for grape varieties, this was an…