The sun shines, grape ripen and wine is made. Why do some wines become wine superstars, command huge prices such as Vega Sicilia from Spain, Screaming Eagle from California, Domaine de Romanée Conti from Burgundy or Chateaux Margaux from Bordeaux, to name a few? What
Discovering wines from places you least expected is a fun and interesting part of my work. Winemakers and viticulturists around the world whose aim is to make wines better and distinctive in character, introduce new grape varieties to a region.
Is there a risk that wines
When we think of the classic sweet wines of the world we think of Sauternes in Bordeaux, Tokaji Aszú in Hungary and Germany and Austria with their Beerenauslesen. The two principal categories of sweet wines are late harvest and fortified. The finest Late Harvest sweet
Cool Climate Wine is a term that we are becoming more familiar with when talking about wines of the world. The planet is getting warmer and consequently growers and winemakers from Argentina to Australia to Spain are looking for cooler areas to grow grapes as
To simplify how I evaluate an international wine I look for three key characteristics; balance, complexity and finish. It takes a bit of practise but like a good book, rereading it a second time is often more enjoyable. A wine can be well balanced but
There are hundreds of grape varieties to make but the 4 Classic Red Grape Varieties of the World are: Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux surpasses all other wines, the elegant aromas of blackcurrant, plums, black cherries, cedar wood, and cigar box. It is a grape that has travelled
Here in Spain there has been a boom in recipes using ingredients imported from around the world. So let us think about how to combine wines from around the world with the food we eat. Wine is an essential ingredient to make a meal complete. It
More common misconceptions about wine 6. Red Wine has fewer calories than White Wine Not necessarily. The calories in wine come from the alcohol as well as from the residual sugar. So a young fruity white wine with 12% Alc and 6g/l sugar (the addition of residual
1. Screw cap closures are for cheap, lower quality wine Not true. More and more winemakers all over the world are using a screw cap as an alternative to traditional cork because it seals the bottle and does not allow oxygen to enter; it also removes
Last week I had a productive three days of tastings in London, where you can find the widest choice of the finest wines from around the world. With so many trade tastings at this time of year it is important to be very focussed on
