Last week I posted a crash course on sherry. Sherry is a relic, a throwback from an earlier age of winemaking. No-one would set out to make a wine in the way that sherry is made; but it is precisely this process that gives it its unique properties. If you value intensity, complexity and length [...]

A couple of weeks ago we filmed a trailer for my new book, Drink Me. The idea behind it is to give people who are considering buying a copy online a quick (three and a half minute) intro into the kind of stuff the book covers and whether it might be what they are looking [...]

Who knew squid testicles could be so delicious? More to the point, which lunatic tried cooking with them in the first place? I only felt mildly grossed out once I’d got back to England. At the time, sitting in a tapas bar in southwest Spain, they proved a tasty morsel, albeit rather rubbery. This isn’t [...]

When it comes to buying wine, if there’s one time you need to get maximum bang for buck it’s when you’re getting married. It’s the most important day of your life, so you want something special to share with your friends and family; but you’re on a strict budget, and need to keep the price [...]

Last week I tried to describe the character of the most common red grape varieties; party by listing the typical aromas and flavours you often detect, and partly by comparing them to someone famous. This week it’s the turn of white grapes. If you’ve got any to add, stick them in the comments box below…

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Right, just a bit of fun this week. If there’s one good way of trying to guess what the wine in a random bottle will taste like, it’s by knowing which grape variety (or varieties) it was made from. Sometimes, most commonly in New World countries, it states it on the label. With many of [...]

I was walking around the recent Annual California Wine Tasting in London the other day and one particular bottle caught my eye. I had heard about it before, and had seen it in a couple of high-end wine shops over the years, but never drunk any. I also recalled seeing some high scores from critics [...]

It’s not every day I have the excuse to start a blog post with a haiku, but I do today, so here goes:

Koshu

It’s quite expensive, But displays a unique style; Not unlike sake.

Andrew Jefford would be proud…

In Japan they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet [...]

It has clearly been a hectic few months for the two Richards, Dudley and de Fleury. Operating for just over a year, they are still in the process of putting together their full range. Nonetheless, there were 75 wines on show at their recent tasting from their developing list.

They make an interesting double act, [...]

Supplier: “Hello Matt, what would you like to taste?”

Me: “The St Laurent – I’m just tasting St Laurents at the moment.”

Supplier: (shoots another writer an incredulous look) “Just St Laurents? That’s very…er… specific of you.”

Cue much laughter from the two of them.

OK I admit it. It’s a bit niche. I [...]