Sunday 29th January

New Zealand is a friendly place. Before I’d even landed in Auckland, a guy in the passport queue had taken my details and promised to send me a list of his favourite Syrahs. And within ten minutes of finding a wine bar the owner had poured me a generous taster […]

It’s hard to beat Syrah from the greatest sites in the Rhône, but I’ve tasted a few from New Zealand recently that have been really impressive. I’m on my way over there tomorrow for a couple of weeks for a closer look – my first visit, so I’m hugely excited. I’ll be tweeting as […]

Is there a quicker way to get to know someone than by flicking through their music collection or browsing their bookshelves? Both feel like a little glimpse into their soul. For wine lovers, rifling through someone’s cellar can be equally enlightening. I’ve spoken to some of the best wine writers in the UK; they […]

“I do believe that it is a year where the ‘lesser’ terroirs will shine, as we have great colour, concentration, fruit and balance pretty much everywhere. A ‘great’ terroir will be great throughout various vintages like 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 but a lesser terroir much less frequently and that is for me one […]

I’m currently putting the finishing touches to my annual Rhône Report – over 1,000 2015s tasted, just some final analysis to go. It should be available via timatkin.com in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here’s a link to an article I wrote for Decanter magazine, a producer profile on one of the best […]

As you may have gathered by now, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Rhône. I spend more and more time there every year (six weeks in 2017), so I’m getting to know the place fairly well. I often get asked about where to stay, where to eat and who to visit. If you’re […]

What fabulous nectar does the following tasting note conjure up?

“…notes of tangerine, candied orange, cooked peach, stone fruits and hint of lavender on the back of palate.”

A sweet Loire Chenin Blanc? A Muscat de Beaumes de Venise? Perhaps even a Tokaji Aszú? Nope; it’s the Equinox Seasonal Blend from Union […]

I’m currently in the Rhône researching my annual report for timatkin.com; this will be the fifth consecutive vintage I’ve covered for the site. It’s a packed two weeks of tastings and visits, and by the time I’ve included several London tastings, I’ll have worked my way through over 1,000 wines from the 2015 vintage. If […]

On the first day of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, Major Al Lynch, in full military fatigues, explained to the wine judges what was expected of them: “if you are given an order you will follow it without question.” I’ve judged wine competitions in many different settings but this was my first time in […]

“Bonjour!” beamed the skinny young monk as he hurried past me down the steep dirt path, his brown habit flapping behind him. It turns out the local monastery had only been finished 10 years ago. I’d have thought there were sufficient monasteries in France to house today’s crop of aspiring monks, but apparently not. […]