Today I gave a talk on social media and the wine industry at a conference in Logrono (Rioja) organized by DIAM, the closure company. Also speaking was José Penin, author…
Three amazing natural wines from Mas Coutelou
These are lovely, lovely wines. I followed them over the course of a few days, so I’m fairly confident in my recommendations, too. They are made by Jeff Coutelou, in…
Video: visiting Sancerre by helicopter
Here’s a short film shot from my recent visit to the famous Loire village of Sancerre, by chopper. It proved quite an eventful journey: on the way, the door I…
Judging in the Concours Mondial Sauvignon Blanc
I’m just back from a few days in the Loire, where I was part of a large international jury judging the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon competition. We stayed in Blois, and…
Dinner at La Trouvaille in Blos, with interesting Loire wines
On Friday night, I had dinner at La Trouvaillle in Blois. By its decor, this doesn’t seem a terribly high-end restaurant, but the food is really good and the wine list adventurous….
In the Loire
This is going to be one of those slightly frustrating, short-on-words, big on pictures posts. It’s just that I am in the Loire, in Blois, not far from Touraine, and…
A day in the Languedoc
I spent today in the Languedoc, doing some work. The work was actually quite enjoyable: I was tasting a selection of 90 of the estate wines from Les Grands Chais…
A beautiful Viognier
When Viognier is good, it can be great. I remember first being introduced to the grape in the early 1990s. Then, it was quite rare, with a reputation for being…
A superb, inexpensive Ventoux
Continuing in my theme of brilliant wines under £10, here’s a Ventoux that I was seduced by. It’s one of those wines that manages to hold the sweet fruit and…