Some thoughts. Can we think without language? In the absence of words, can we experience things consciously? I’d argue, yes. We think and process our experience consciously independently of language,…
El Cayado Bierzo: is it the same wine?
A while back I recommended the El Cayado Bierzo from Oddbins (£8.99), and today I plugged it in my Sunday Express column, describing it as one of the best sub-£10…
Three Austrian wines from Tegernseerhof
The world is awash with interesting wine, even if you have to dig around a bit to find it. The problem this creates for me is I’m perpetually feeling a…
On the beach
Spent the day down at West Wittering, near Chichester. It’s one of the UK’s best beaches. And we enjoyed a day of full sunshine, without a single cloud – it…
Man O’War and my duplicate notes
Just written up my notes from July’s visit to Man O’War on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. It was a memorable visit on a gorgeously sunny winter’s day, and Waiheke is…
Is the taste of wine a property of the wine?
A philosophical point, but an important one. Is the ‘taste’ of a wine a property of a wine? Here are my thoughts. A wine has physical properties, which can be…
Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria: an elegant Sicilian red
Back in February 2009 I visited Sicilian producer Planeta (report here). It was a great visit, and I particularly enjoyed the Cerusuolo from Vittoria, a blend of Nero d’Avola with…
An interesting South African Sauvignon: Mulderbosch
Given the climate of the Western Cape, South African Sauvignon Blanc shouldn’t be up to much. But the proof is in the wines, which are frequently very good. This is…
Summer’s almost over
It’s the last day of what has been a rather miserable August here in the UK. But it’s going out in some style, with a perfect sunny day finishing the…