Some milestones make you think. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the founding of Cloudy Bay, one of the most successful wine brands ever, and a label that...
Read MoreHow to become a successful wine writer
I am often asked what it takes to become a successful wine writer, which is like asking Harold Pinter how to become a successful song writer. He’s dead, you idiot....
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A review of the 2015 Platter’s Guide Five Star Wines
If anything can be said to create a buzz in the South African wine industry, it’s the annual announcement of the Platter’s Wine Guide’s 5 Star Wines. There were 50...
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When life gives you Melons
Like a weathered George Michael cynically observing a shiny young Justin Bieber, Muscadet must be thinking to itself ‘been there, done that’. After its 1980s heyday of wild success, Muscadet...
Read MoreAnosmia Dogs and other failed Master of Wine dissertations
One of the requirements for becoming a Master of Wine is an original and rigorous research paper of between 6,000 and 10,000 words. The words must be placed in sentences,...
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Wine’s tipping point
To thine own self be true. Polonius’ advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet is arguably easier to give than to follow. Most of us make regular compromises in our...
Read MoreA preview of the Cape Winemakers’ Guild auction
The Cape Winemakers Guild was created in 1982 by a group of winemakers who set out to “improve the quality and standing of South African wines”, arguably no easy thing...
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What would independence mean for Catalan wine?
If you’ve watched the news lately or just even flipped through the in-flight magazine on a European budget airline, you probably know about the Autonomous Region of Catalonia’s drive to...
Read MoreVin de France: the flexible future?
To the French it was le gros rouge qui tache. We Brits were less interested in its saturated colour, but equally dismissive in our terminology, referring to it as plonk....
Read MoreThe Grande Dame of Pauillac
As you’d expect of a former actress, liked an audience. When Château Mouton-Rothschild hosted the Fête de la Fleur celebration at Vinexpo in June 2003, after guests had enjoyed liberal...
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Split infinity
What do you feel like drinking tonight? Red or white? Still or sparkling? Dry or sweet? With an endless number of wines in countless styles to choose from, it’s necessary...
Read MoreHow to become a successful sommelier
Having the letters MS after your name doesn’t mean you’re a sommelier. A sommelier works in a restaurant. From the several dozen I’ve met, judging by their occupations, I was...
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