Love among The Somms
by Ron Washam
The Somms are a strange people, only recently discovered by Westerners. Little is known about where they originated, though most anthropologists agree that it was very early in the 21st...
Author: Tim Atkin
Rudy Kurniawan: last man standing?
by Henry Jeffreys
Before watching the documentary Sour Grapes, I had a mental image of American wine collectors as like the effete Crane brothers in Frasier. What I did not expect was what...
Selling California: the Impossible job?
by Tim Atkin
Managing England’s perennially underachieving football team is sometimes described as “the impossible job”. A delusional fan base, a fickle and vicious tabloid press and a set of players who, whatever...
Rethinking wine: back to the future?
by Henry Jeffreys
It might surprise you to learn that London had a fleet of electric taxis in the late 19th century. They were known as hummingbirds because of the noise they made....
Wine’s Future Shock
by Tim Atkin
So many celebrities – and celebrity winemakers – have died this year that it was easy to miss the recent passing of Alvin Toffler. Alvin who, some of you may...
Donald Trump’s World Atlas of Wine
by Ron Washam
What is it with you people that you want to know what I think about wine all the time? When I became the new Emperor of Wine, and, really, I’m...
What would Brexit mean for the wine business?
by Tim Atkin
What will Brexit mean for the wine business? In the traumatic week that has followed the referendum and the decision of 52% of voters to leave the European Union, the...
Trump, Brexit and other endangered grape varieties
by Ron Washam
Estimates of the number of varieties of Vitis vinifera in cultivation vary widely. In the seminal work, “Wine Grapes,” the grape expert Dr. José Vouillamoz (pronounced “Wham-O”) asserts that the...
The Tour de West Norwood
by Henry Jeffreys
Whilst most of my boyhood friends had pictures of John Barnes or Ian Rush on their walls, I had Gianni Bugno and Laurent Jalabert. In my teens, cycling was my...
The Spanish Revolution
by Tim Atkin
Which country makes the finest wines in the world? When the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi gave a speech at Vinitaly earlier this year, he caused a stir in the...
Announcing Master of Wine Lite
by Ron Washam
The Institute of Masters of Wine is pleased to announce its new program, Masters of Wine Lite©. Tired of being the only person in your wine tasting group without initials...
Alice’s Adventures in Naturaland, and Through the Isinglass
by Ron Washam
Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole Alice was getting very tired of sitting by herself on the bank. Though she was usually by herself, unless she was at a wine...