Three days. Seven judges. 145 South African Chenin Blancs. It was the second year of the new look Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Challenge, and I had been invited…
Some wine with Ken Forrester
Had dinner with Ken Forrester and tried a few of his wines. Ken is the dude. Ken Forrester Petit Pinotage 2014 Stellenbosch, South Africa So impressed with this: inexpensive and…
Fun with Ryan and Samantha – Skurfberg, Jamet, Silvervis et al
So Ryan Mostert and Samantha Suddons, of new winery Terra Cura, popped round. They brought with them a couple of boxes of wine, so we sat, tasted and drank. Some…
Gamay focus, 5 – Radford Dale Thirst Gamay Noir
There’s not much Gamay in South Africa – just 13.3 hectares planted. It’s for this reason that Alex Dale wasn’t keen for me to reveal to the world the location…
The Breedekloof Chenin Blanc initiative
Before this tasting Breedekloof was totally off my radar. So it was great to catch up with three Breedekloof guys, Pieter Cronje, De Wet Lategan and Attie Loew to hear…
In South Africa, day 1, two exciting new wines – Patatsfontein and Haarlem to Hope
I’ve been in South Africa for one afternoon and a sleep, and already I have much that I want to report on, but for starters I will talk about two…
How the London wine scene has changed for the better
There’s a good article in today’s Independent on the ‘Rock’n’roll’ sommeliers who are replacing ‘wine list dinosaurs’ in London’s restaurant scene. I’m not sure about the ‘rock’n’roll’ descriptor, but it’s…
Gamay focus, 4 – Julien Sunier Fleurie 2013
Julien Sunier is one of the rising stars of Beaujolais. He makes wines naturally from organically managed vineyards, and this is a brilliant expression of Gamay. It’s from a single…
Some lovely Portuguese whites
Some Portuguese whites, tasted with lunch on the Lisbon coast. All impressive, and not too expensive. Soalheiro Vinho Verde 2014 Portugal This is benchmark Alvarinho from one of the top…