Supergrapes vs. Evil Greegeo
by Matt Walls
Whenever I hear about a new graphic novel based around wine like The Drops of God or The Initiates, I get excited. They tend to be fairly grown-up affairs, but...
Matt Walls
Matt Walls began working in drinks selling super strength lager and fags in an off-licence. Since then, he has worked for big chains, small independents and everything in between. He now spends most of his time writing about wine, contributing to consumer and trade publications and timatkin.com. His first book, Drink Me: How to choose, taste and enjoy wine, won the Newcomer of the Year at the 2013 Fortnum & Mason Awards. He also advises restaurants, hosts tastings, runs training courses and is a judge for the International Wine Challenge and Decanter. Matt covers the RhĂ´ne for timatkin.com.
Articles by Matt Walls
The First Rule of Wine Club
by Matt Walls
Over the past twenty years book clubs have become part of the social fabric of the UK. A recent article in The Telegraph suggests there are now 50,000 in the...
Cold rush
by Matt Walls
It was a crude but effective way of making a wine buying decision: Old World vs. New World. You had savoury, medium-bodied classic styles from Europe on the one hand;...
Cornas: the sweet smell of success
by Matt Walls
Of all the red wines of the RhĂ´ne Valley, there is one that has an unfortunate reputation. Cornas has often been accused of having a rustic or âanimalâ side to...
Londonâs wine scene: a tale of two cities
by Matt Walls
Considering its total lack of vineyards, London’s long-established position in the wine world might seem surprising. But this has proved to be Londonâs strength; historically there has been no local...
Canada: you can’t build an industry on Icewine
by Matt Walls
I wonder how many people buy themselves a second bottle of sparkling Icewine. Fun to try once, but it can feel a little bit… gimmicky. Letâs face it, who even...
The Wine Snob: an endangered species?
by Matt Walls
The snob may look just like you and me, but it is a parasite in disguise. It leaves its victim poisoned. When the snob discovered wine, like a facehugger, it...
2011 RhĂ´ne: the George Harrison vintage
by Matt Walls
Who was the best musician out of The Beatles? Letâs face it, itâs either Paul and John. What about George Harrison? After Paul and John, George comes a solid third....
Forbidden Fruit
by Matt Walls
If Jesus had chosen something other than the fruit of the vine for his followers to worship him with, todayâs wine lovers might have a harder time indulging their hobby....
Everyday value?
by Matt Walls
Lined up against the wall in my hallway, they stood quietly like forlorn commuters queuing for a bus. These were not bottles to make a taster salivate. Why didn’t I...
Gaillac the Tortoise
by Matt Walls
Say the word âGaillacâ and what does it conjure up? Not a lot. Florent Plageoles of leading estate Domaine Plageoles confirms âwe have a big image problemâ. Itâs not that...
Eleven shades of Nebbiolo
by Matt Walls
To begin with I didnât get it. Drinking Nebbiolo seemed like trying to swallow a cube, cut from a tree. It was hard, it was sharp, it was dry; and...