It’s a rare occurrence, admittedly, but there are times when Lord Sugar, the original East End barrow boy made good, talks a lot of sense. The latest series of The...
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My top ten wine and travel destinations
THE MOSEL VALLEY (Germany) Why should you visit? To taste the sublime Rieslings – regarded by many experts as the world’s best white grape – and to marvel at thier featherweight balance....
Read MoreSicily: a continent comes of age
There’s a spot on the north face of Etna, Sicily’s smouldering, still active volcano, where you can stand in front of the remnants of the last big lava flow, a...
Read MoreWine, toilet paper and Costco
Like many of you, I suspect, I’d never heard of Annette Alvarez-Peters until she appeared on American television recently, chatting about wine, toilet paper and televisions. But suddenly, she’s all...
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My top 50 Argentine wines 2012
These are 50 of my favourite Argentine wines, shown at a tasting in London yesterday and selected from an extensive report to be published next month. To explain the way...
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Alsace and the meaning of tradition
The wine world thrives on novelty: new vintages, new flavours, new producers. In some ways, this is both understandable and necessary. Creating a bit of sizzle around a category that,...
Read MoreShould Bordeaux en primeur take a holiday?
Nothing divides opinions quite like Bordeaux en primeur. If you’ve spent the last few weeks in the Australian outback, without access to a mobile phone or the internet, you might...
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They spelled my name wrong again
Ron Atkin (not Atkins) That great American humourist and songwriter Loudon Wainwright III once wrote an hilarious ditty titled “They Spelled My Name Wrong Again”. At the Croydon concert I...
Read MoreRedefining fine wine
The wine world is often celebrated for its breadth and diversity – all those grape varieties, countries, regions and sub-regions – but there are times when it feels like a...
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Tasting the Top 100 South African wines
St James: home of Top 100 SA Wines I’ve just got back from the Cape, where I’ve been judging some of South Africa’s best wines for a competition called Top...
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Pinot Central by Alan Brady
A friend of mine in the south of France runs a business advising people who want to buy vineyards. Some of them have lots of money, refugees from the city...
Read MoreThe UK’s culture of cheapness
Anyone who still believes the UK is the centre of the wine world should pay a visit to ProWein, the annual trade fair in Düsseldorf. The place has a self-confidence...
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