I love the wine trade. It’s fun, full of interesting people, and it’s incredibly open and friendly. But it is a bit of a bubble. We talk to each other…
Returning to my old university for a wine tasting
From 1986 until 1992 I spent six years at Royal Holloway University of London, first doing a BSc and then a PhD. Last night, I returned for the first time…
Some thoughts on Wine Stars, a new competition
Some of you may already have heard of Wine Stars, a new competition that will be launched at the London International Wine Fair later this month. Anything that helps worthy…
How to manage a Champagne brand, some thoughts
I’ve been thinking a bit about wine branding recently, and specifically about Champagne brands. The large Champagne houses are skilled brand managers. It has taken a lot of hard work…
The mechanics of the £20 Taittinger offer
This is the time of year when the supermarkets try t0 outdo each other with special offers on well-known fizz. I was surprised when I popped into my local Asda…
A name for English sparkling wine – the Britagne debate
There has recently been some debate about whether or not English sparkling wine needs a name, prompted by the release of Coates & Seely’s new fizz, for which they have…
At the Tesco press tasting
Off to Millbank today for the Tesco press tasting. Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, is also one of the globe’s biggest wine retailers. So it’s important for many consumers that…
Two from Mayu
Very happy to find two delicious wines in Asda at a fiver each. They are a pair from Chilean producer Mayu, located in the stunning and remote Elqui region in…
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…