Akarua is an important producer for Central Otago. In a region of small outfits, they are a reasonable size, and of late have been on a vineyard-buying spree. With winemaker…
People, places, landscapes and change
I’m currently intrigued by the idea of being from a place. Thanks to a friend, I discovered the author Robert Macfarlane, and I’m currently working through his book The Old…
Central Otago (12) Domaine Rewa
In a privileged site in the Lowburn subdistrict of Central Otago, Domaine Rewa – a small biodynamic vineyard – is turning out some very smart wines. And there’s a great…
The wines of François Lurton
It was great to meet and taste with François Lurton. His father, Andre Lurton, is a very important figure in Bordeaux. Lurton senior, who owns Château Bonnet, was active in…
The wines of Nyetimber, England
Nyetimber are probably the most famous winery in the UK, and along with a good number of other English sparkling wine producers, they were present at the ProWein fair in…
Some high-end wines from Cramele Recas, Romania
Philip Cox is the man behind Cramele Recas, an incredibly smart, adept, market-sensitive Romanian winery. They sell 24 million bottles a year under a whopping 247 different labels, and they…
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2013
I was excited to try this new 2013 Blanc de Blancs from leading English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber, because it is the first vintage to feature wine from their Hampshire…
Champagne highlights (2)
These bottles were all drunk on the trip. Some great discoveries here – these are all from smaller growers. Champagne Emmanuel Brochet Le Mont Benoit Extra Brut NV France Emmanuel…
Two nice Sauternes
I don’t drink enough Sauternes (or Barsac). No one does, which is why this – one of the world’s great wine styles – is relatively under appreciated. If you bought…