The Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region. With more than 26 000 hectares under vine, it’s responsible for more than a quarter of the country’s vineyard area, although the Pfalz…
In Texas, for Texsom
I’m in Texas. First time for me. I’m here for Texsom, which is a really important conference in the north American wine scene. I’m here to conduct a 3 hour…
The Riesling Rendezvous 2016, Seattle, Washington State
Three days in Seattle. So much Riesling! The fifth annual Riesling Rendezvous was in town, and I attended it for the first time. Riesling is a grape that has had…
Flying long haul budget: what’s the WestJet experience like?
I’m flying quite a bit at the moment. This year I’ve been to New Zealand, Portugal twice, France three times (Beaujolais, Alsace, Champagne), Germany, Spain, South Africa (twice), California (twice)…
In the Okanagan, BC, Canada: Mission Hill, Cedar Creek, Gray Monk and Tantalus
The second day of this trip was spent immersed in the beauty of the northern and central Okanagan. As a wine region, the Okanagan is simply too diverse to make…
From the road in Germany
Just the briefest of blog posts this morning from what is turning into a truly enlightening but also incredibly fast-paced trip. The only downtime we have had so far is…
A life of wandering in a world of place
I have committed myself to a pretty brutal travel schedule this year, at least until the end of July. Since the end of January I’ve been in New Zealand, California…
Some lovely affordable bottles from the Co-operative
Tasted at the Co-op press tasting on Tuesday. Some nice affordable wines, and one slightly pricier bottle. Trapiche Pure Malbec 2014 Uco valley, Mendoza, Argentina 14% alcohol. This unoaked Malbec…
Natural wine: a fad or here to stay?
This is the text of a talk I am giving today in Lisbon. It’s titled: ‘natural wine: a fad or here to stay?’ Historical context Some historical context. Consider wine…