British ex-pat Katie Jones has been living in the Languedoc since 1993. She worked at the Mont Tauch co-operative until 2009, when she started her boutique winery, which now consists…
Covela reborn – Vinho Verde, Portugal
Covela is back. I was a fan of this estate, which was previously owned by Nuno Araújo (related to Pedro Araújo of Ameal), and which made really interesting wines from…
Nicolas Perrin Crozes Hermitage Blanc 2012
Northern Rhone whites are some of the unheralded stars of the wineworld. There’s a good story to this wine, too. Before around 1995, Jaboulet were one of the top producers…
Holiday in the Charente, France
For the last week I have been on holiday in France. A cousin’s wedding in Vouharte, in the Charente, gave us the perfect opportunity to get together as an extended…
Kitten Swish Chardonnay 2012
One of the highlights of judging the Canadian Wine Awards a couple of weeks ago was hanging out with the fellow judges. One of them was sommelier Brad Royale, who…
Les Clos Perdus Le Blanc 2011
Paul Old and Hugo Stewart’s Les Clos Perdu makes some really interesting wines from biodynamically managed vineyards across promising terroirs in the Languedoc and Rousillon. This is a varietal Macabeo…
In Lisbon with the young winemakers of Portugal
So I was in Lisbon. For one night only. The occasion? The ‘Young Winemakers’ tasting. Vadio, Conceito, Hobby, Clip and Carmelao are five young-ish Portuguese producers (with six winemakers in…
The remarkable Talinay Vineyard Chardonnay from Tabali, Limari, Chile
A few years ago I visited a remarkable coastal vineyard in Limari, Chile, with active limestone soils. It was Tabali’s Talinay vineyard, and it’s turning out some seriously impressive Chardonnay…
Some highlights from the Asda press tasting
So yesterday was the Asda press wine tasting, held on the top floor of the Royal Festival Hall, with great views of London’s Southbank. The main range is good, but…