Blog
Penfolds: The Australian Collection 2021 London Tasting
It was with absolute and unadulterated pleasure that I attended a press tasting of Penfolds Australia Collection 2021 at 67 Pall Mall recently. Whatever else I had planned that day was swept aside and swiftly forgotten about. Was I really going to be one of the first people in this country to taste these newborns, which included the 70th edition of Australia’s most celebrated treasure, Grange, and have an audience with the legendary Peter Gago?
Exploring Tesco’s Vegan Wine Range
Most people don’t know that most wine isn’t vegan - and why it isn’t vegan. More vegan wines are appearing on the shelves now and are being labelled as so, but would a wine labelled as vegan put you off? And do vegan wines taste any different? Skin + Pulp guest writer Jenni Allen aka @oliveandthevine explores Tesco’s vegan wine range to find out!
Exploring Age-worthy Albariño from Rías Baixas
I first ever tasted an Albariño in a seafood restaurant. It was recommended by the sommelier because of its fresh acidity, characteristic saltiness and stony minerality, which made it the perfect partner for briny oysters and the sweet, juicy meat of grilled Mediterranean prawns. Since then, I’ve been hooked and it’s one of my favourite summer whites, offering excellent value for money as it’s usually drunk young, requiring no ageing.
Behind the gold stickers: Interview with Andrew Jefford, Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair
Renowned wine writer, Andrew Jefford, has been judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards since 2004. He’s seen wine trends come and go, but manages to keep an open mind when presented with a set of new wines to judge. I caught up with him for half an hour backstage during the 2021 DWWA judging week to talk about a whole bevy of topics, including who benefits from wine competitions, how he started out in the world of wine, celebrity wines, wine influencers and what it really means to have a DWWA label stuck on a bottle.
Top English Wine Week Picks
Lot’s of good drinkin’ happened this week! Check out our top English wines.
The Best Rosés to buy this Summer
Want to know what the best rosés are to buy THIS summer? Read on so that you can celebrate Rosé Season in style!
Celebrate Father’s Day with Fonseca Port
For Skin + Pulp guest writer, Jenni Allen, Port is the perfect choice for Father’s Day. Read on to see what she thought of this three-pack of Fonseca Ports!
M&S ‘Found’ wine range: Are you ready for an adventure?
M&S have got a great new range called Found, which features wines from lesser-known regions (all vegan and sustainable), made from rare and forgotten grape varieties. I got sent a few wines from the range to sample - read on to see what I thought of them!
Virtual Wine Tasting: Exploring South African Wine
On Saturday 19th June, I’ll be hosting a Virtual Wine Tasting to explore the wines of South Africa! Book by Thursday 10th June to receive your three-bottle pack of wines through the post in time for the tasting.
Terrazas de Los Andes: The search for freshness in Mendoza
“When you’re in Mendoza, you decide who you want to be when you look at where you plant your vineyards,” Herve Birnie-Scott muses. Thirty years ago, this winemaker from the Loire decided what he wanted Terrazas de Los Andes to be, despite being a bold move away from Argentinian wine at that time.
What is Vermouth?
‘What is Vermouth?’ is a question many wine lovers will ask at some point on their wine journey. Is it a spirit? Is it a wine? Skin + Pulp guest writer Jenni Allen tastes a selection of Vermouths from González Byass and finds out.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio: Celebrating 60 years as an Italian icon
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is celebrating 60 years as an Italian icon. It’s a wine loved by American celebrities and is sold in 95 countries around the world. But among wine circles, Pinot Grigio is a much-snubbed style of wine, dismissed as being characterless and bland. Sophia Longhi explores why Santa Margherita is different from the rest and why you perhaps should give it a try.
English Sparkling Wine: Exton Park’s Reserve Blend wines
This is where Exton Park stands out from the crowd. They have just released their Reserve Blend range, a trio of Traditional Method sparkling wines made from a 10-year-old library of reserve wines. Usually even Non-Vintage wines rely on a base vintage, but Exton Park are happy to challenge classic winemaking conventions and do things differently.
Sustainable, zero-waste wines from Borough Wines
Skin + Pulp guest writer Jenni Allen explores sustainable, zero-waste wines available from Borough Wines. Can we look after the planet AND drink high-quality, tasty wines?
The Big Fortified Tasting 2021
Last year, due to the pandemic there was no Big Fortified Tasting, but fortunately it’s the nature of a fortified wine lover to practice patience. Patience can be rewarding, as it was this year, when I got the chance to discover some fantastic fortified wines once again.
Tasting Note: Champagne AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2014
AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2014 showcases the beauty of pure Chardonnay. It’s bright in colour and in aroma, expressing clean, fresh lemon, alongside perfect flaky pastry.
Wednesday Wine Women: @drink.folc
Elisha co-founded folc in 2020 with her partner Tom, with the ambition to create a high quality English rosé with a modern mindset. She knew that their customers wanted transparency, sustainability and inclusiveness at the heart of the wine they are buying and that's exactly how folc produces their English wine.
What is Fine Wine?
What exactly is fine wine, anyway? After consulting the Googles, there isn’t actually a straightforward answer. Even Masters of Wine and fine wine specialists seem to say that the term is subjective. However, after some pondering, it seems to be mostly to do with ageing. Fine wines are designed to be aged, from the decision about the grape variety and the timing of the picking to the type of vessel the wine is to be aged in.
Wednesday Wine Women: @masdeladame
Anne Poniatowski and Caroline Missoffe, two sisters, decided in 1995 to leave Paris and come back to the family vineyard, becoming the 4th generation at Mas de la Dame.
English wine? English? Wine?
When the rest of the world thinks about England, they most likely think of red phone boxes, the Queen, cups of tea and rain. They probably don’t think about wine. Oh, we Brits LOVE wine – we guzzle gallons of the stuff, I’m sure you know that. But we actually make it too. We MAKE it! And we make it pretty darn well.