Here’s a film where I ramble on interminably about terroir. Well, actually, it’s my seven key points on this most wonderful of concepts in wine. I hope that you find…
The Wiseman ‘Study’ – cheap versus expensive wine
Much has been written about a scientific ‘study’ by psychologist Richard Wiseman which showed that people can’t tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine. (See, for example, this report…
The remarkable viticulture of Dry River, Martinborough, New Zealand
I have just published an extended write-up of a visit to one of New Zealand’s most exciting producers: Dry River, Martinborough. Here, I want to focus on one aspect of…
Closures: Diam’s guarantee, and new from Nomacorc
Haven’t mentioned the juicy subject of wine bottle closures around here for a while. I’m seeing more and more Diams – the technical cork that’s made from fragments of cork…
in North Carolina, day 3 – beer and Biltmore
So now I am in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. I with a group of wine scientists at a retreat focusing on post-bottling wine chemistry, and we are staying…
The Klima: a New Zealand innovation
On my recent trip to Kiwiland I saw an interesting innovation that looks set to save growers lots of money. It’s called the Klima (www.klima.co.nz): a mechanical gizmo that strips…
Closures for fine wines
Just finished my next Gros Lees column for The World of Fine Wine. It’s on the subject of wine bottle closures, but this time I’m focusing solely on fine wine….
High alcohol: why it is a problem
I’m listening to some of the reports coming out of Bordeaux with alarm. The 2009 vintage has a dark side: high alcohol. The wine of one famous chateau weighs in…