Rose tends to be a functional sort of wine. You enjoy it in the right circumstances, but don’t really feel like writing a long essay on it. And I find…
V V Vermentino!
Vermentino is a white grape variety known for making very fresh, bright wines, even in warm climates. It’s Italian by origin, and does well in Sardinia, but has also crossed…
Northern Rhone series 5, Jamet Cote Rotie 1999
This wine is a favourite of mine, and I’ve drunk it on perhaps a dozen occasions. Well stored bottles, like this one, are really singing now, but there’s no hurry…
Northern Rhone series 3, 1967 Hermitage
So after two white Hermitage wines, we’re heading to Syrah, but sticking with the Hermitage hill. This wine is very interesting. It was a gift from Richard Kelley MW, who’d…
Northern Rhone series 2, Chapoutier Chante Alouette Hermitage Blanc 2007
Continuing my exploration of the Northern Rhone, wine number two is also a white Hermitage. It may seem an odd choice. Shouldn’t I have gone to Syrah? But I want…
Northern Rhone series 1, Cave de Tain Hermitage Blanc Au Coeur des Siecles 2007
I have decided to start a short series of posts on the wines of the northern Rhone, a splendid and unique place for growing wine grapes. Not only is it…
Video: Syrah and Shiraz – northern Rhone and Barossa
Here’s a short film of me tasting two contrasting wines. Both are from the same grape variety, but one is a Syrah (Jean-Luc Columbo Crozes-Hermitage Les Gravieres 2008), the other…
Video: my Vinexpo experience
So here it is! A film of my first experience of Vinexpo. Just over three minutes of sights and sounds from the world’s largest trade fair!
Mirabeau: a Provence rose with social media support
Here’s a great example of how to market wine in the age of social media. Normally, another Provence rose coming onto the market would be treated with a big yawn….