Have you ever tried to buy a mobile phone on contract? Or choose an energy supplier? The pricing structure is deliberately complicated, making direct comparisons incredibly difficult. And the…
On soils and wines, part 6 – water relations and wine quality, plus a bit about clays
So, the next instalment in my exploration of the importance of soils for wine. This is really thinking aloud, so I’d love to hear comments and corrections. One of the…
Some nice wines from Lay & Wheeler
Wine merchant Lay & Wheeler have been part of Majestic Wine for a while, and for the first time at this week’s Majestic press tasting some of the Lay & Wheeler…
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…
Four decades of Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja
I recently got the chance to taste (and drink) Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja from three different decades, spanning four decades in all, which was pretty cool. I’m not the greatest…
Some blog posts worth revisiting
I feel guilty. In an age of information overload, I blog pretty much every day. I contribute to the vast mass of media output that clogs up peoples’ thinking space….
Tio Pepe Fino En Rama, Fourth Edition, 2013
Just out: the new Tio Pepe Fino en Rama. Taken straight from the cask, unfiltered, and offering lots of flavour. Wines like this are helping to make Sherry sexy again….
Washing, drying and maintaining a decanter
I love decanting red wines. And some whites. But I have always struggled with cleaning decanters properly. My usual technique is to was then in very hot water several times,…
Some top wines from Israel
I’m on my way home after a just a couple of great days exploring the wines of Israel. So here are my notes on an assorted collection of 16 different wines,…