What is the essence of Tuscany? And where its heart? For the art lover Tuscany has everything, indeed it is everything. For the music lover we have the birthplace and home of Puccini. He has been
It is not very often that I write about tasting I have tutored or masterclasses presented. However, once in a while all the wines show really well, and the participants are truly amazed by the
There are many books written about Bordeaux and its wines, all of which discuss, to a greater or lesser extent, the properties listed in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc and Sauternes. However,
I am often asked which wine regions offer the greatest value, and I can suggest quite a long list. Near the top are the best wines from Valpolicella, Bardolino, the Cru Beaujolais and Cahors.
As I write this, I have just finished a week's work as speaker on a Noble Caledonia 'wine' cruise in Bordeaux. There were a hundred and twenty-four participants, mostly mature people, with varying
I have written extensively about TCA and related haloanisole taints in wine - there 60 pages on the topic in my book 'Wine Faults and Flaws: A Practical Guide'. There is no doubt that the incidences
Of all the fascinating white wines produced in north-eastern Italy, Lugana is one of the least well known. The production area lies to the south of Lake Garda, which is Italy’s largest lake.
It is a source of endless fascination as to why some wine regions have become world famous, whilst other remain largely unknown. ‘Monsieur, c'est le terroir!’ is an oft heard response, when asking the
At the 28th Gourmand Awards Ceremony held Umeå in Sweden, the Association of Wine Educators received a Special Award, with congratulations for its 30th Anniversary.
It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Trevor Elliott. He was a great wine educator, undertaking rigorous research on the topics he presented, but always aware that his audience
There is no doubt that Prosecco is the go-to wine for wine lovers seeking fun, fresh and fruity fizz. It is a wine that can be enjoyed without breaking into eulogies and without breaking the bank.
I have often written of my passion for opera, and particularly the great Italian composers of Puccini and Verdi. Perhaps my love of rock & roll is less well recorded
Tannins are polyphenols, the primary source in wine being the skins of the grapes. Stalks also contain tannins of a greener, harder nature and nowadays are, with some notable exceptions, generally exc
The renaissance of English wine began in 1951, when Major General Guy Salisbury Jones planted a 1acre vineyard at Hambledon in Hampshire. Guy died in 1985, before English wine became so acclaimed....
Although I admit that I am fickle, in the last couple of decades I have fallen in love with north-eastern Italy and its wines. It’s not me getting older, but there has been a renaissance in quality.
To my mind and palate, Almaviva is the top Icon Wine of Chile. If ever there was wine that interweaves ripeness of the New World with the ' sense of place' of the old, this is the one.
I was thrilled to receive the coveted Prix de 'l'OIV (Oenology Category) at the awards ceremony held at the iconic Cité du Vin in Bordeaux on 30th September. The award was for my book 'Wine Faults...
Sharing perceptions of wine, by both consumers and professionals, has probably taken place throughout the 8000 years of wine history. In the decades following World War 2, various structured systems
In the very north of Italy’s Alto Adige (also known as Sűdtirol) there is a an old silver mine. No mining has taken place here for 50 years, but today deep in the mine and 4 kilometres into the ....
I have little doubt that the halcyon days of great wine trade fairs are behind us. The world’s largest fair, ProWein, saw visitor numbers fall this year to 38,000 from a 2019 figure of 61,500.
I was delighted to receive an award and make two presentations at the International Food Symposium and Gourmand Awards Ceremony held in Umeå in the north of Sweden from June 1st to 5th. Umeå lies wi
I have written elsewhere about my fascination with success, and the multitude of factors that have to come together to achieve it. Perhaps harder to define is just what is success, especially when we
I am often reminded as to how precarious life is. Somebody who is strong today can be gone tomorrow, on account of illness, age, or tragic accident. In life, I am fascinated by both success .....
Once in a while I am truly moved by a wine. A wine that sends a shiver down the spine, or brings tears to my eyes. A cultural experience, that might be compared with listening to Jonas Kaufmann.....
Just before this year’s harvest at Château Lassègue, I had a long talk with winemaker Nicolas Seillan. I have been both a lover and admirer of the wines for 10 years, and wanted to know more....
At the 26th Gourmand Awards Ceremony in Paris, held on 29th and 30th November 2021, I was honoured to receive awards for two books, and was really pleased the event could take place 'live'.
Prosecco: the very word conjures up images of fun, laughter, and happiness. Although this ‘holiday in a glass’ wine has been around for many years, its rise in popularity in the last decade has been
The International Drinks Expo is making it’s much-anticipated return to London's ExCeL on 9th & 10th November. I am presenting a seminar. Free tickets are available for this great two day event.
You may read in many books that the use of cork as a wine stopper was discovered by the French monk, Dom Perignon. This is certainly not the case. The year 1680 has been stated as when the Benedicti
Wine and music have much in common, and my tastes in both are very wide. I confess to being a failed classical musician – when I was at school I had dreams of being a trumpet player and composer.
Change comes slowly in the wine world, and nowhere more so than in Bordeaux. Sometimes a stir is created with new construction, such as the new buildings at Beychevelle, Lynch Bages and Talbot.
Carménère is a grape variety considered by many wine lovers to be uniquely Chilean. Whilst Carménère is planted in several regions in Chile it is in the Colchagua Valley that it performs best.
