This month’s theme, ‘Oops!’, was selected by last month’s winner the mighty talented Wine Kat, Kat Wiggins. Her winning post Possession – A Short Story is a joy to read and I recommend it you. Here’s my not too serious entry for October’s Wine Writing Challenge. Things to do: Write an original blog on the theme of ‘Oops’ with no […]
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Cru Bourgeois 2011
“Cru Bourgeois” is one of those many French wine terms which sound unnecessarily complicated, but it is one that is certainly worth remembering and looking out for. It applies to around 250 (256 for the 2011 vintage) Médoc châteaux which missed out on the 1855 Classification but which still believe that they are a cut above […]
Wine Brag Blog II
So, following some the world’s top Champagnes at the Moët Hennessy portfolio we continued with wines from the rest of the world. How on earth could Pelorus follow Moët Grand Vintage Collection 1993? It suffered a little being thus positioned in the tasting which is a shame because it should, in theory, be a good bet. The […]
Wine Brag Blog I
I’m hiding this wine brag under cover of a blog. I don’t want to sound boastful about being able to taste these wines, I know exactly how lucky I am that I can. This was a tasting of the Moët Hennessy portfolio and to kick things off were Champagnes from Dom Pérignon, Krug, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart. […]
The Pleasure Rhône
If I’m not tasting Bordeaux, then it seems to be Burgundy; if not French, then Spanish; so I have had to re-tune my palate in the last ten days to the pleasure (or, perhaps I should say, experience) of tasting a range of Barolos and wines from the Rhône valley. The Barolo tasting was a […]
Cru Bourgeois 2011
On 17th September the Cru Bourgeois du Medoc Classification announced the chateaux which have been classified for the 2011 vintage. There are 256 of them and you can discover who they are and much more besides here. For insider information, check out our lady in Bordeaux’s blog at Insider Tasting. We will be back to let you know of our […]
Brave New World
They know how to make wine in Bordeaux, they’ve been doing it for centuries. Grape varieties and vineyard sites were decided in the dim and distant past, viticultural and vinification practices were developed and then copied around the world, they’ve learnt how to use oak to its best advantage and the results have been held […]
There ain’t nothing like a dame
Earlier this year I was invited to become a Dame de la Jurade de St.Emilion – think Masons but with wine and women, and without the handshake. I was honoured to be asked and despite the robes being red, so not my colour, I was quick to accept. I was to be intronisée (the literal translation […]
A Different Perspective
Apparently, you have to taste something you don’t like 17 times to convince your palate that it is something pretty tasty after all. It was true of olives for me but I’m sure some things don’t need quite so many times for a conversion from yuk to yum; sometimes it’s just down to having a […]
Win tickets to a wine event with a difference
Every Friday night in June and July, Zoo Lates at ZSL London Zoo will be giving grown-ups the chance to see one of the city’s most iconic attractions in a whole new light. ByWine has teamed up with the exclusive wine sponsor, Bordeaux Wines, to offer one lucky winner a prize pair of tickets to […]