This afternoon I was a judge in the Victoria version of Gold Medal Plates here on Vancouver Island. We tasted the following wines, and these are my personal notes. Pipe…
Lunch with Dirk Niepoort at Trinity, Clapham
Last week we had a wonderful lunch at Trinity Restaurant in Clapham Old Town, with Dirk Niepoort and his wines. Trinity is a great place, and Adam Byatt had prepared…
Three prestige Champagnes: Krug, Dom P and Comtes
Tried these three yesterday. They are all really good, and all quite different. The Comtes was the star; the Dom P accessible yet serious; the Krug still tight and youthful,…
Jean-Paul and Benoît Droin Chablis 2015
I was given this blind to taste. Immediately I opted for very serious Chardonnay, and Chablis in quick succession. I wrote my note and scored it. Then I was stunned…
The importance of stories, good and bad
One of the most popular programmes on BBC Radio 4 is Desert Island Discs, which is presented by Kirsty Young. It has been running forever (since 1942), and the idea…
Vinhão: red Vinho Verde
I love red Vinho Verde. It’s just so distinctive and different. Usually (but not always) it’s made from a single variety, Vinhão. This has a thick skin, and the result…
Impressive sparkling wines from Blue Mountain, Okanagan, Canada
Just tried these impressive sparkling wines from Blue Mountain (who I visited a couple of years ago) in Canada’s Okanagan Valley. They are really good, and compared with their peers…
Debate: what should British Columbia’s identity be as a wine region?
One of the sessions at the Cornucopia Wine Summit was a good old fashioned debate about the future of BC (British Columbia, Canada) wine. What should BC’s identity be as…
Gamay focus 24, Samantha Gamay 2014 Okanagan, Canada
Continuing with the series on Gamay, I’m sticking with the Okanagan Valley in Canada. I’m in Whistler, now, and this wine is from Samantha Rahn, who’s the wine director at…