Villa Maria describe themselves as New Zealand’s most awarded winery. They became this through the clever strategy of making lots of small production high-end wines and then entering all the…
Nagano wine region, Japan (2) – Domaine Nakajima
Yutaka Nakajima was studying at chef school when he came across wine. He’s a big fan of natural wine, and also has a strong affection for Alsace. He has experience…
Nagano wine region, Japan (1) – Kido Winery
This was a good start to my visits in Nagano prefecture, Japan. Akihito Kido was born in Aichi prefecture, and he studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Yamanashi….
Japan: an overview of Japanese wine, and why we should be interested
I’m in Japan. The purpose of this trip is to explore Nagano, which is one of the three main Japanese wine regions. Some perspective on the Japanese wine scene. Winegrowing started…
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV
This is one of the best NV blends out there. It’s made from 60 different crus, with 40% reserve wines (a very high proportion), and bottled in 2011 before disgorgement…
Great wines at Hibana, a natural wine bar in Tokyo
Last night I arrived in Tokyo and headed out to Hibana (3F Third Halcyon, 3-6 Araki Cho, Shinyinku-ku, Tokyo 160-0007). It’s a relatively new natural wine bar run by Atsushi…
Dinner at Arbour with lovely wines: Felton Road, Vieux Telegraphe, Kumeu River and Quartz Reef
Arbour is widely regarded to be the best fine dining option in the Marlborough region. I visited with friends yesterday evening and we had a really good time. The kitchen…
Marlborough, where big can be good: Brancott Estate, Deutz and Stoneleigh
Global drinks giant Pernod Ricard are major players in the New Zealand wine scene, but as this tasting showed, in Marlborough, big can be good. They have a few Marlborough…
A top Canadian Chardonnay: Bachelder Wismer Foxcroft 2013
Thomas Bachelder is one of the leading producers in Canada’s Niagara region, and he’s doing very good things with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He also works in Burgundy and Oregon,…