Winemaker, consultant and wearer of natty shirts, Olivier Dauga, is a firm believer and advocate of sustainability and organic farming. Much of his work is based in and around Bordeaux with Univitis although his own property, Foncadaure, is further south in Roussillon and he consults for Vingerons Catalans, too. I have always been impressed with […]
I don’t do self-help books but when I find my will-power has sunk to an all-time low, my weight ballooned to an all-time high, and that the self-help book which landed on my doormat was written for people who like to drink alcohol (too) frequently and written by a dear friend into the bargain, it’s […]
A favourite tasting this. People like to taste wines they can find easily, that they can afford, wines which represent value and they are interested to see if the cheaper prices are truly on a par with other wines they might buy. Can they justify buying wine from either discounter with their head held high? […]
A Celebration of English Wine by Liz Sagues Those of us who attended the Wine GB tasting at the end of April may have spotted Liz Sagues modestly selling her book. She was doing so at the expense of going round tasting from the 30 odd exhibitors, sacrificing the chance of tasting up to 200 […]
I have always been a fan of Château Brown over the years, and it isn’t entirely down to its winemaker and part-owner, Jean-Christophe Mau. The white and rosé have particularly stood out, quite possibly because there are fewer opportunities for comparison with other Bordeaux châteaux. The region only produces a total of about 9% of […]
There is a unique hospitality opportunity that might be a perfect, fun way to thank the loyalty of your clients or staff, or indeed an occasion for you and friends to enjoy. Proceeds will go to help the charitable work of Armonico Consort in creating choirs in schools in the Coventry area. On Thursday 24th May, […]
Here’s a handy (virtual) booklet of great value wines as selected by members of the Association of Wine Educators (AWE) – wines they use in their classes and tastings as well as buy to drink and enjoy themselves at home. I’m a long-standing member and current Honorary Secretary of AWE and this li’l brochure is […]
This was a tasting to live long in the memory. All the wines were tasted blind and included in each flight a wine from 1982, 1985, 1988 and 1989 though not necessarily in that order. The Grand Cru Classé wines certainly stood out, and generally the better the cru, the better the wine, which really […]
Viña Sol Torres 2016 Sainsbury’s £6.00 (from £7) widely available. A firm favourite of mine and many others over the summer months. It’s a blend of Spanish grapes, Parellada and Garnacha Blanca grown in Catalunya in the north east around Barcelona, and available all over Spain and much of the UK, too. Once upon a […]
WM Morrisons Pinot Gris 2013 Morrisons £8.25 Pinot Grigio with attitude! The bottle might suggest this is German but actually it’s from Alsace in northern France. They do Pinot Gris really well there. Made by one of France’s most respected co-operatives, Cave de Turckheim, this has enticing honeysuckle aromas, hints of honey, too. It’s […]