When it comes to vineyard soils, limestone is all the rage. But there’s one source of limestone in vineyard soils that isn’t much talked about. It’s the slow formation of…
Terroir: the rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated
There’s a very interesting article on Jancis Robinson.com today, in which she reports on a recent Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) seminar on mineralogy. It deals with some very…
Does organic wine taste better? A study whose findings have been widely misinterpreted
Are organic wines better than conventional ones? An interesting study from researchers at the University of California Los Angeles suggests that they might well be. However, the difference in point…
Stability of olfactory ability over time
This is a question that I think is really interesting, and it would be quite easy to answer. How stable is our olfactory ability over time? We each differ in…
In Adelaide: discussing wine science with a taxi driver
So, I rolled into Adelaide airport at 8 pm on Sunday night, after a long flight from London via Dubai. On the plane I alternated between sleeping, working, and listening:…
Riesling Rendezvous: why analytical data don’t tell us much about the taste of Riesling
I’m at the Riesling Rendezvous conference in Seattle, Washington State. Held every three years, it’s an in-depth dive into this most distinctive of white wine grapes. It began on Sunday…
ICCWS: Gary Pickering on managing green flavours in wine (what do to about ladybug taint)
Gary Pickering, of Brock University presented a talk at the ICCWS (International Cool Climate Wine Symposium) on managing green flavours in wine. These are largely (but not exclusively) caused by…
ICCWS 2016: Alistair Nesbitt’s model for identifying suitable vineyard sites in the UK
Alistair Nesbitt, from the University of East Anglia, has created a model that maps spatial climate variability in the UK, showing the suitability of various areas for viticulture in England…
Framing and wine tasting: how words can get in the way of experience
Framing is a social science term which refers to a set of concepts and perspectives that then form the background that influences how we think on certain issues. In this…