I’m in Germany. On a press trip focusing on organic German wines. As of 2013, the most recent figures I have, Germany has 7800 hectares of certified organically farmed vineyards,…
Grower Champagne Focus: Léclapart, Charlot-Tanneux, Emmanuel Brochet, Chevreaux-Bournazel
I had these lovely grower Champagnes in a wine bar in Reims (the excellent Au Bon Manger, 7 Rue Courmeaux). Anyone who thinks of Champagne merely in terms of the…
The Bee-Side Grenache from Domaine of the Bee
Justin Howard-Sneyd’s Domaine of the Bee is based on three small plots of old bush vines in Cathar country, deep in the south of France near the village of Maury….
In the Alentejo, Portugal, for just a day
I’m just on the way home from Lisbon. I’ve spent today consulting for a major Alentejo winery that changed hands a while back. The new owner is smart enough to…
Wines with Winerackd: Meinklang Konkret and Thörle Hölle
Popped over to spend a very pleasant evening with Daniel Primack, who among other things established Zalto in the UK, to the eternal debt of serious wine lovers across the…
Domaine Clavel Le Mas: excellent value from the Languedoc
Not to be confused with the Côtes du Rhône domaine of the same name, Domaine Clavel has vineyards in four different Languedoc terroirs: Pic St Loup, Grès de Montpellier, La…
Holus Bolus Blanc Roussanne 2014 Santa Maria Valley, California
This is a lovely Roussanne from California’s Santa Maria Valley. It’s made by Peter Hunken and Amy Christine, the duo behind Black Sheep Finds, based in Lompoc’s famous wine ghetto….
On running and wine
A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with my twin sister, Anne. I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about, but the conversation came on to the subject…
Folium: interesting dry-grown wines from New Zealand’s Marlborough region
Takaki Okada came to New Zealand’s Marlborough region in 2003, and began working with Clos Henri. In 2010, he bought an 8.5 hectare vineyard that had been established by Fromm…