Had a brilliant dinner at Brat last night. It was my first time, and it was one of the meals of the year. Our theme was Loire, and we brought…
Two lovely Languedoc wines from Gayda
Had a look at some samples yesterday after getting home from New Zealand, and these two, from Domaine Gayda, stood out. Gayda Figure Libre Chenin Blanc 2015 Pays d’Oc, France…
Stunning new releases from Domaine Queylus, Niagara, Canada
I’ve written about the wines of Domaine Queylus before. This winery, headed up by Thomas Bachelder, is making some of the most distinctive wines in the Niagara wine region. I…
Exploring the wines of Ontario, Canada
Yesterday I took part in a session for LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) product consultants, focusing on Ontario wines. This was held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in the vineyards (we started…
Loire adventure: Bernard Baudry, Chinon
Next stop on the Loire adventure was Chinon, with Matthieu Baudry of Domaine Bernard Baudry. The domaine was created by Bernard, father of Matthieu, back in 1975, and Matthieu joined…
Interesting Argentine wines: Bonarda and Cabernet Franc
This was a chance to taste some interesting examples of Bonarda and Cabernet Franc from Argentina, with winemakers Sebastian Zuccardi, Matias Riccitelli and Edgardo de Popolo. Most Bonarda comes from…
Domaine des Ormes Saumur 2014: an amazing value Loire red
Occasionally I taste a wine with no idea of where it’s sourced from or how much it costs. This is one of those wines, and when I found out it…
Two lovely wines at St Swithins Wine Shippers: Breton Chinon and Nicholas Perrin Crozes
Had a couple of lovely bottles on Thursday night at St Swithins Wine Shippers. It’s a wine bar and retail shop in the City of London, and it has a…
Cabernet Franc: Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Champigny 2014
Cabernet Franc is a grape variety that has been growing on me. It’s often thought of as in the shadow of its talented son, Cabernet Sauvignon. But in some ways,…