At first sight, it looked like a PR disaster. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, was filmed falling off a paddleboard into Lake Windermere five times. He’s a...
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A Natural High
In the Azorean psyche lies a shared history of inhabiting a place shaped by lava flows and volcanic eruptions. There is also the constant threat of earthquakes and storms, which...
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A Wine Time Capsule
In October 1972, New York magazine published a special issue on wine called the “Whole Grape Catalogue.” Noting that “the past few months have seen enormous growth in the New...
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Dorothy Parker Wines
For the past three years I’ve been serving on the committee of my local tennis club in west London. Calling it a tennis club is accurate up to a point;...
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Just Another Luxury Product?
This year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign has attracted much controversy over release prices. But while a number of leading châteaux have made substantial cuts on what they charged for the...
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The Weight Of Wine
What constitutes high alcohol now? In table wines, I mean; fortifieds haven’t changed. But I recall the horror when reds started hitting 14%. Then 14.5%. And now? 14% seems quite...
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A Classic In The Making?
After the excessive heat of 2022, the vintage 2023 marks a return to normality for Bordeaux. Had this vintage happened 30, or even 20, years ago, it would have gone...
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Footprints In The Sand
Given my fondness for wine writing, you won’t be surprised to hear I like other pointless discussions too. So I enjoyed the noise generated by a recent New York Times...
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The Liberal Arts of Wine
The first time someone in authority takes your fingerprints is among life’s tiny transitional moments. I wasn’t under arrest, thank goodness; I’d just applied for a state liquor license. But...
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Wine’s Icebergs
Prompted by a brilliant series on The Rest Is History podcast, I’ve been reading Richard Davenport-Hines’ book, Titanic Lives. It’s a fascinating tale of class, wealth, emigration and, of course,...
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Neither New, Nor A World
I live in Poland, which means my home is in Eastern Europe. Most of us would take this as a simple statement of fact, hardly giving it another thought. Many...
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Wine’s Next Price Shock
Call it the shock of the mediocre. Earlier this month in a West Country pub, I scanned the wine list out of idle interest. It offered just two wines under...
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