Blog
Sipping on Blanc de Blancs at Jenkyn Place
Being invited to a private tasting of Jenkyn Place’s first ever Blanc de Blancs in their beautiful Hampshire estate, standing next to the very vines upon which the ‘blancs’ were grown… it’s a yes from me. Even when dark clouds started to roll in and the heavens threatened to open, there was nothing that could dampen the enthusiam for the occasion – which is English winemaking in a nutshell, as it goes. By midday, there were blue skies, sunshine, Scotch eggs and puppies bounding around the garden – and a vertical tasting of Jenkyn Place Brut Cuvée from 2006 to 2014. It couldn’t have been more perfect (including the Scotch eggs, which still had soft, orange yolks).
Ace the Diploma with Jim Gore’s Global Wine Academy
If you’re a WSET Diploma student wishing to give yourself the highest chance at passing the exams (with flying colours too), the courses and masterclasses from Global Wine Academy are going to be your best friends. These courses, led by Jim Gore, former Principal of the WSET Wine School, delve into the nitty gritty of the WSET learning journey and provide precise techniques to calibrate the palate and write the perfect tasting note.
T-Oinos Wines: Liquid energy in a bottle
The rare grey-black marble that is found on the floors of Buckingham Palace and the Louvre comes from Tinos, a rugged Greek island in the Aegean Sea. So sought after, this marble is now UNESCO protected - which is the reason you will see giant boulders in the middle of vineyards, with rows of vines respectfully stopping at their edges and continuing on after.
Tasting Note: Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is the famous white grape of Bordeaux, but it seems like these days, Marlborough in New Zealand is just as well-known for it. In France, Sauvignon Blanc is all citrus (lemons and limes), green fruits (gooseberry, green apple) and usually some asparagus. It always possesses a high, refreshing acidity, and the cooler the climate, the leaner and crisper this wine will be. The climate is cool too in Marlborough - well, up in those high altitude vineyards it is - but there is sunshine pretty much all day every day. This gives a riper style of Sauvignon Blanc and this is where you get that incredible passionfruit filling your mouth so distinctly that sometimes you expect the glass to be bright yellow when you push it back from your lips!
Lez Arts: It’s all about the magnum, baby!
Lez Arts, a rosé produced by Marrenon from the Luberon in the South of France, is only available in magnum size in the UK, which says it all, really - this is a good time wine! Where is the Luberon, I hear you ask, as you strain your ears waiting for the word ‘Provence’. Well, even though it is in the greater Provence area, this is, very uniquely, a Luberon rosé.
Tasting note: Fleur de Mer Rosé
Ah! The summer is here and this very bottle makes me think of skipping across a lavender-flecked hillside, white dress billowing, hair flowing behind – perhaps I am carrying a basket of flowers or – even better – freshly picked herbs to make dinner with later in my stone-cobbled kitchen overlooking the sea? How Provençal indeed! It’s amazing what a label can do and this one has a dreamy, curly script across it, spelling ‘Fleur de Mer’, flower of the sea. And, if you ever visit the website of this wine, you are greeted with pretty watercolour paintings of lavender loveliness.
Black Forest Wine Club
Black Forest Wine Club. It just sounds cool, doesn’t it. Do you have to know about Black Forest wines to be part of the club? No. Do you even have to know about the Black Forest at all? No. Just come with a thirst for great wine and the appetite of a hungry German.
KWV - South Africa’s Proud Pioneers
The first wines from South Africa were made 360 years ago from the French Muscadelle grape and in the centuries that followed, the country experienced a rollercoaster of success and failure. First came fame all over Europe in the late 1600s, then over production followed, then politician isolation, and – finally – a commitment to high quality winemaking and global embrace. KWV have been with the industry for over 100 years now and were initially formed to defend and protect farmers. In 1928, the developer of the Pinotage grape, Professor Abraham Izak Perold, joined KWV and became responsible for the experimentation of new cultivars and improving quality control.
World’s Best Vineyards 2019
In the prestigious surroundings of the historic Banqueting House in London, the only remaining part of the Palace of Whitehall where King Charles I met his grisly end, it was a night of beginnings for the World’s Best Vineyards ceremony. At its inaugural event on Monday 8th July 2019, a new chapter of history was written, as Argentina’s Zuccardi Valle de Uco was named the World’s Best Vineyard by an international voting academy.
Respect for the old ways at I Pastini winery
We found ourselves in the heart of Valle d’Itria (the valley of the trulli) during a small detour on the way to the I Pastini winery. My group and I had spent a quick 45 minutes taking in the historical town of Alberobello, where we were introduced to the charming ‘trullo’ houses, which I heard were becoming dilapidated until some bright spark decided to turn them into unique B&Bs for tourists. I imagine these luxury stone-walled tipis make very novel accommodation.
Rosé food pairings with Vins de Provence
As soon as the sun makes an appearance in London, the rosé corks seem to pop by themselves. Any city rooftop swarms with relaxed, smiling faces, aglow with rosy reflections from the pink nectar sloshing around in their wine glasses. Not just any pink, mind, a specific pink; a very pale pink, as if the black grape skins involved just shot the juice a flirty wink, in true sexy Saint-Tropez style. Ahh, Provence rosé gets us in all the mood, doesn’t it?
Grays & Feather: Unlocking the Kingdom of Wine
I am always thrilled about a new wine bar springing up in London, but there’s something about Grays & Feather in Covent Garden that is even more exciting than most. Self-described as a ‘mischievous wine parlour’, the two-storey venue pricks the senses as soon as you walk in: in your direct eye-line is an elaborate taxidermy peacock perching at top of the staircase, its beautiful feathered train trailing down over the banister. When I think of a wine bar, I picture dark wood – wooden stools, oak barrels – but everything is bright in here; natural light is flooding in through the large windows making the white walls seem whiter; furnishings are soft and welcoming; dusky grey and indigo-blue chairs invite you to sit at neat tables, stylishly set with flutes, cutlery, pot plants and candles.
Wine Tasting at Le Cochonnet
‘Have you tasted the Clare Valley Riesling? You must try the Riesling!’
I first met the owner of Le Cochonnet, Peter, whilst tasting some delicious wines from Pikes at the London Wine Fair. I had tried the Riesling and had learned all about it from Jamie at Pikes, but I was happy to try it again as it was pretty darn tasty.
An enthusiasm for good wine was something we shared heartily and, after a couple of meetings, we decided that we should put on a wine tasting at his restaurant, Le Cochonnet.
Christmas wines from Mr Whirly
Last week I discovered Whirly Wines, a charming little wine shop in Balham, owned and ran by the friendly and charismatic Simon Charles Newson. Simon travels the nooks and crannies of the world to hand-source his wines and they are usually all made by small, boutique producers, so you’ll have a job finding them anywhere else in London. Simon’s passion for wine shines through with a contagious enthusiasm and whether you are a connoisseur or a novice, you’ll feel right at home in his shop-come-tasting room where you’re sure to discover some real gems.
Inside the wine list: Davy’s of London
Davy’s Wine Merchants’ 150th birthday is creeping up and, having only just caught my eye, they seem to be wearing their age very well. Established in an era when deliveries arrived by horse and cart on the cobbled streets of London Town, and serving patrons through two World Wars and into the millennium, this group of 24 traditional wine bars and shops can perhaps give us all a lesson in longevity.
Wines of Bordeaux: An intreaux to Bordeaux
Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Bordeaux. Even if you know nothing at all about wine, the chances are you’ll have heard of Bordeaux. What’s the big deal and why it is the world’s most famous wine region?
In a nutshell: Wines of Alsace
I love white wines from Alsace. In general, they are aromatic wines, which can be dry or sweet (or somewhere in between), and I like them best when they have high acidity and blossom aromas, with stone fruit characteristics.
A weekend in the Languedoc - Part Deux: Every wine has a story
One of the fabulous things about the Languedoc is that you are never far away from wine. There are vines everywhere you turn and in every village there will be someone making their own wine (in Liausson, it’s the village mayor, as introduced to this story in Part One). There are also larger wineries and shops where you can see big production close up and, of course, try and buy the wines.
A weekend in the Languedoc - part one: Liausson Rouge
It’s always very fortunate when you have friends who live in wonderful places, especially when you can go and stay with them for a few days. It is even more fortunate when said places are located between 30-50 degrees of latitude (where the grapevines grow) and home to lots of lovely, lovely wine. Chris and Ian live in Liausson, a small village in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France. It’s a beautiful, historic little place with Lac du Salagou to the north (or just a fifteen minute walk down a dusty road from Chris and Ian’s house) and vineyards in every other direction.
Wines of Venice
I find Venice’s wine story particularly fascinating because of its history as an influential, bustling port. As early as the Middle Ages, wines were being imported and exported out of Venice. The importing of wines from Greece, along with new species of vines, allowed Venetian viticulture to develop and, by exporting their own wines, a demand for them began to spread into Europe. When the trading power waned in the mid-sixteenth century, less Greek wine was imported and so the development of local wines from Valpolicella, Treviso and Vincenza began.