Caroline’s laugh tinkled, hollow; like the second pint hitting the urinal. Harry squeezed her thigh under the table. Last night, they’d had a serious discussion about whether elopement was a...
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Farewell to a great Burgundian
Some wine personalities take their final bow in front of cathedrals full of mourners; others disappear without fanfare or warm words. William Fèvre, one of the great figures of Burgundy,...
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Why Do Brits Hate Wine?
My first wine piece was on Xinomavro, my second on Brexit, my third on why Brits hate wine. If I am writing about wine ten years from now, I think...
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Misunderstood Wines
There are certain rights-of-passage conversations that take place as we make our journeys in life. Which football team do you support? Where did you grow up? What was your first...
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One woman and her corkscrew
Like antlers on the wall, old Punch cartoons in the downstairs loo or a second-hand copy of Catch-22 in a student’s bedroom, the corkscrew in my handbag has been the...
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Killing the canary
“Phew. What A Scorcher!” I’m old enough to remember June 1976, when we had 15 consecutive days above 32°C. The Sun’s headline captured some of the excitement I felt as...
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Challenging Convention
The Japanese saying, “He who runs after two hares will catch neither”, explains the nation’s resolute pursuit of quality. It not unusual to hear of a chef in a family...
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Why consumers like Chenin Blanc more than Riesling
Where was the Riesling? Johann de Wet shrugged sheepishly and said he’d brought five Robertson Chardonnays to taste instead. “We only make 6,000 bottles of Riesling these days,” he admitted....
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Why You Shouldn’t Care Much About Wine
It’s funny how things change. Not so long ago in Greece, everybody would chip in to tell me what’s the right way to drink wine, as befits a place where...
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Lunar Pebbles, Lederhosen & Birthday Suits: The Weird & Wonderful World of Eccentric Winemakers
England and Kent wicketkeeper Alan Knott was known for his odd behaviour; he’d warm his hands under the hot water tap before going on the field, always wear a long-sleeved...
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It’s Time To Rethink Wine Criticism (But Not Like That)
Like his fellow Athenian New Comedy playwrights, Menander is not a household name today, but there is one saying of his that his modern compatriots still use: “After the oak...
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Island of discoveries
“You’re joking,” said María Hontoria, the oenologist from the governing Cabildo de Tenerife. “I thought everyone from the UK had been here.” Her surprise was justified. Nearly six million tourists...
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