Maipo Valley
by Tim Atkin
If you’ve ever seen the film “Alive” – and I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re about to tuck into steak tartare – then you’ll know that the Andes are a...
Stellenbosch
by Tim Atkin
With its Cape Dutch architecture, mountain-fringed setting, famous university and a line-up of wineries that reads like a who’s who of the South African industry, Stellenbosch is one of the...
Chardonnay
by Tim Atkin
‘Hello, sir, and welcome to the Chardonnay country club.’ I’ve heard some silly things in my time, but naming a Napa Valley golf and tennis complex after a grape variety...
Chenin Blanc
by Tim Atkin
If patience is a virtue, as the old saw would have it, then it’s a virtue that’s deeply unfashionable. We live in a world dominated by immediacy, instant gratification, attention...
Pinot Noir
by Tim Atkin
The legendary jazzman and humorist Ronnie Scott once introduced a concert at his London club with the following words: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, the last time this person played in London,...
New York City’s Best Restaurant Wine Lists
by Christy Canterbury MW
New York crushes wine. This metropolis loves great wine lists. And, we want to enjoy them with excellent food and good service. So, this year’s “Best List” takes into account...
Barossa Valley
by Tim Atkin
The first time I visited the Barossa Valley in South Australia, someone gave me a cassette. (It was so long ago, that iTunes didn’t exist.) The music was a collection...
Burgundy II
by Tim Atkin
Burgundy is a paradoxical place. The apparent contradiction is that it is both one of the simplest and most complex wine regions on earth. The easy part is that almost...
Napa Valley
by Tim Atkin
The Napa Valley is the most famous wine region in the Americas and arguably in the entire New World – think Bordeaux crossed with the Hollywood Hills and more than...
The Cheesemonger’s Tales
by Tim Atkin
Cheese and wine are perfect partners and the right combination can add to the enjoyment of both. During the time I owned Paxton & Whitfield Ltd, the cheesemongers, I conducted...
Wine Vintages
One of my favourite cartoons, published by the Pacific Wine Company, depicts a vintage bore surrounded by people who’ve hanged themselves out of tedium: ‘I’ve just started drinking the 1982s,...