What’s the difference between a New and an Old World wine? Twenty-seven years ago, when I started writing about the subject, the distinction was clear-cut. The received wisdom was that...
Read MoreWine education: the difference between a Bordeaux and a claret
“I love Chablis, but I can’t stand Chardonnay.” Anyone who has ever done a public tasting, mixing with people who know what they like but not a lot more, will...
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Trocken roll: Riesling remixed
Generational bickering between winemakers is nothing new. Sometimes, like the use of barriques in Barolo, it’s a stylistic choice rather than a simple ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of doing things....
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Patrick Sandeman: a life well lived
It was one of those where-were-you-when-you-heard-the-news moments. I was sitting at my computer on a Sunday evening when I saw a Tweet by wine journalist, Guy Woodward: “Truly terrible news...
Read MoreNorthern Whites: wine in a cold climate
Inspiration can come in many forms. For Anders Selmer, his lightbulb moment was at a café in Copenhagen, and it was shaped like a turnip: “I was served a turnip...
Read MoreNever mind the quality…
What’s in a name? If you think that monikers are irrelevant to the choices we make ask yourself if you’d buy something called Brad’s Drink, surf the net using BackRub,...
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Champagne: where the party’s really at
Sometimes I feel very lucky to be living in the UK when it comes to getting hold of good wine. Since the UK has historically been an importer of other...
Read MoreBefore the rain: 25 wine euphemisms
They’ve barely picked a grape in Bordeaux, but the region’s euphemism generator is already up and running. “A winemaker’s vintage”, as one château owner described the 2012, is another way...
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A ferment about Furmint
To be sung to the tune of ‘Start Wearing Purple’ by Gogol Bordello: “Start drinking Furmint drinking Furmint, Start drinking Furmint for me now, All your sanity – and wits...
Read MoreDefinitely Picking Time
the fucking sky looks fucking dim the fucking forecast’s fucking grim the fucking fruit won’t fucking set the fucking farm’s in fucking debt my fucking pay’s a fucking crime evidently...
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Argentina’s Malbec obsession
Is Argentina too dependent on Malbec? The question might seem absurd – few countries have managed to associate themselves so successfully with a single grape – but it’s beginning to...
Read MoreWine and the Olympic spirit
What a fortnight. Even if you have little or no interest in sports – be they sitting down, standing up or floating in a pool – you have to admit...
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