cellier des dauphins

Cellier des Dauphins

Wine cooperatives are underrated – discuss. I’ve never quite understood the slightly negative view of buying wine made by a co-operative. These are wineries jointly owned by vine-growers, grape-growers, vignerons, farmers, whatever you like to call them, which produce wine from the area in which their vines are situated. Over half of all French wine […]

2017 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

Classified: Cru Bourgeois

The latest Crus Bourgeois classified wines have just been released. They are from the 2017 vintage which, by any standards, was a tricky one with the unusual extreme spring frosts being the biggest culprit for causing yields to be very low, as much as 50% lower than normal in some areas. The classification is only […]

MW update on New Zealand

Some musings following the recent MW visit to New Zealand in February 2019   Not intended to be exhaustive – simply a summary of some of the highlights, key learnings, wines/producers I will be looking out for in the future…….and general reflections.   Climate change – it is more likely to be wetter in winter […]

lidl

Lidl’s Latest Wine Tour

The next Lidl Wine Tour comes round 28th March 2019 and features, in my humble opinion, some absolute beauties. So this could be a long missive……..   Dry Whites Tête à Tête Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris – £7.99 – A beautiful blend from Alsace, off-dry, lime-scented, satisfying and refreshing.  Greco di Tufo – £6.99 – […]

perfect balance

Perfectly Balanced Wines

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 […]

DWD

The Drinking Woman’s Diet

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 […]

aldilidl

Aldi Lidl Taste Off

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? […]

Sagues English wine

A Celebration of English Wine

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 […]

chateau Brown 2010

I’m a Brownie

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 […]

oz and armonico

Oz and Armonico Drink Again!

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, […]