Next stop on the Douro trip: Niepoort. It was a real pleasure to spend a few days at Quinta do Nápoles with one of my favourite people in the world…
Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay 2015 Nelson, New Zealand
I have a thing for Kiwi Chardonnay. Its day will come. It doesn’t currently get the respect it deserves, but with wines like these from Neudorf, and the stunning wines…
Interesting wines from Bosman Family Vineyards with Corlea Fourie
Corlea Fourie is the winemaker behind Bosman Family Vineyards, based in the Wellington region of South Africa. I caught up with her to taste some interesting new releases, including the…
Domaine des Ormes Saumur 2014: an amazing value Loire red
Occasionally I taste a wine with no idea of where it’s sourced from or how much it costs. This is one of those wines, and when I found out it…
We have the wrong map: how false directions impede our search for happiness
A while ago I posted on happiness, and in the short essay I mentioned that one reason people might be unhappy is that they have false beliefs about how happiness…
In the Douro: Vallado
After visiting Vallado’s property in the Douro Superior earlier in the week, it was time to visit the original Quinta, which is on the border of the Baixo and Cima…
Foot-treading grapes at Quinta de Vargellas, Douro
One of the remarkable things about Port wine is foot treading grapes. For top quality Port, it’s necessary to extract as much as possible from the skins as fast as…
In the Douro: Quinta do Crasto
Quinta do Crasto is one of the most beautiful properties in the Douro, perched on a steeply sloped promontory sticking out from the right bank of the Douro, in the…
In the Douro: Quinta do Vale D. Maria
We arrived at Vale Dona Maria late afternoon in a torrential downpour. A rather sodden Cristiano Van Zeller walked over to us and greeted us warmly. It was nice to…