The winelover’s secret map
June 27, 2017
Standing in his sun-drenched hallway, my friend and I stood before the newly-hung painting that he…
Are you on the list?
May 16, 2017
There’s so much to enjoy when you visit a restaurant: a friendly welcome, the convivial…
J.L. Chave Sélection 2015s
May 4, 2017
Jean-Louis Chave makes some of the greatest wines in the Rhône. The Hermitage and Saint-Joseph he…
Martin Lam: The chef that writes wine lists
April 18, 2017
Which comes first: the celebrity chef’s animated persona or their success in television? Martin…
Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s rock n’ roll excess
April 4, 2017
When I listen to electro I crave Riesling. The precise polished perfection of the sound somehow…
New Zealand’s hothouse Syrah
March 21, 2017
In 1984, a man called Dr Alan Limmer was doing some work at a government viticultural research…
Coming of age
February 21, 2017
Orange wine. Grower Champagne. Biodynamics. Trends come and go in wine like anything else. Some…
My first week in New Zealand
February 6, 2017
Sunday 29th January New Zealand is a friendly place. Before I’d even landed in Auckland, a guy in…
Decanter Regional Profile: Hermitage
January 26, 2017
It's hard to beat Syrah from the greatest sites in the Rhône, but I've tasted a few from New…
How the other half drinks
January 17, 2017
Is there a quicker way to get to know someone than by flicking through their music collection or…
2015 Rhône: bargain buys from a stellar vintage
December 13, 2016
The best value Rhône I've drunk this year "I do believe that it is a year where the 'lesser'…
Producer profile: Clos des Papes
November 22, 2016
Vincent Avril, owner and winemaker of Clos des Papes, on the right I'm currently putting the…
A travel guide to the Northern Rhône
November 7, 2016
As you may have gathered by now, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Rhône. I spend more and more…
Lost in translation
October 25, 2016
What fabulous nectar does the following tasting note conjure up? “…notes of tangerine, candied…
2015 Rhône: my week in the South
October 23, 2016
I’m currently in the Rhône researching my annual report for timatkin.com; this will be the fifth…
The Gold Standard
September 28, 2016
On the first day of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, Major Al Lynch, in full military fatigues,…
Ventoux: wild wild East
September 13, 2016
“Bonjour!” beamed the skinny young monk as he hurried past me down the steep dirt path, his brown…
The Hunter Valley Wine Show
August 24, 2016
I’ve just returned from a week’s judging at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, a couple of hours north…
Two Decanter tastings: Germany and Rhone
August 9, 2016
When it comes to organising tastings, Decanter, as you might expect, are pretty adept - their…
Less tasting more drinking
July 13, 2016
Genwine Until recently, being a wine enthusiast has been up there with collecting Benny Hill…
The 2016 London Steak Awards: rare qualities
June 29, 2016
Last week was exhausting. In the course of judging the 2016 Graffigna London Steak Awards I had to…
German Syrah: Some like it cool
May 24, 2016
At the first wine course I ever took the tutor explained that Syrah and Shiraz are actually the…
Chapoutier 2015 Sélections Parcellaires: the best vintage since 1990?
April 26, 2016
Every spring, Rhône ringleader Michel Chapoutier comes to London to unveil the new vintage of his…
Beefed-up beef
April 12, 2016
For those of you reading who have children, just consider this fact for a moment. Some parents of…
In your glass in sixty minutes
March 29, 2016
Whizzing home in my driverless car, I zip past yet another boarded-up wine shop. I suspected this…
The shock of the new
March 15, 2016
When tasting my way through a large number of unfamiliar wines, there are a few tell-tale signs…
The wine trade’s annual health check
March 1, 2016
Every year, after an overindulgent Christmas, the wine trade books an appointment with me for its…
Wine matching: Apricot and almond tart
February 16, 2016
The recipe Serves: 8 Use a rectangular tart tin or a 23 cm round tart tin. 280 g packet sweet…
English wine: too much of a good thing?
February 2, 2016
Sitting in the October sunshine, chewing on the corner of my baguette, I wonder how many others…
Wine matching: Chicons Flamands
January 19, 2016
There are three different coloured chicory; red, green and white. The white variety is…
Breathable drinks
January 5, 2016
Like most kids of my generation, I was obsessed with Star Wars. My favourite scene was the Mos…
Wine matching: Twice baked Bleu d’Auvergne soufflé
December 16, 2015
The recipe Unlike its once baked cousin, the best thing about this bistro classic is that,…
A month steeped in Rhône
December 9, 2015
November is my favourite month. It’s when I research and write my annual Rhône Special Report. I…
International Wine & Spirit Competition Blogger of the Year – I won!
December 1, 2015
Is four years a long time in blogging? I suppose it is. After all, every blogger gets it…
A new style of wine list
November 26, 2015
The UK restaurant scene has never been more rich and diverse, not just regarding the types of food…
Do you want wine with that?
November 18, 2015
I still remember the first time I was offered a glass of wine at the hairdresser’s. I thought this…
A Rhône diary – week 1
November 2, 2015
Sunday 25th October November is a lovely time to visit the Rhône. It’s still sunny but the air has…
Romania: getting back on its horse
October 27, 2015
Standing at the baggage carousel in Timişoara Airport in western Romania, I was approached by a…
Mr Vine September Panel Tasting: the results
October 13, 2015
September’s panel tasting took place at Winemakers Club, a wine bar/shop/events space that…
Wine matching: cherry clafoutis
September 29, 2015
Recipe 350g cherries, pitted 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoon kirsch For the…
“Where are the new people? Come on, step up to the plate.” An interview with Oz Clarke
September 14, 2015
Oz on the left, me on the right Growing up in 1980s Britain, there wasn't much wine on UK…
Exclusive – A new white from Delas: Saint-Joseph Blanc ‘Sainte-Épine’ 2014
August 25, 2015
It’s not every day you get to witness the birth of a new star. That’s why I wanted to share with…
Three recent Decanter articles
August 18, 2015
I've been writing a fair few pieces for Decanter magazine recently, covering my three favourite…
Mr Vine July Panel Tasting – the results
August 11, 2015
This was the best panel tasting yet. Normally we select the five wines most deserving of your…
Chapoutier 2014 Sélections Parcellaires: a difficult birth
August 4, 2015
The vintage I moved to London in August 2003 on one of the hottest days in living memory. Not the…
Wine matching: Lamb with spring vegetables
July 22, 2015
The recipe 1 kg best end neck of lamb 2 tablespoons plain flour 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence 250…
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #4: the results
July 7, 2015
It was another eclectic tasting for the panel in June, this time in the private room at 10 Greek…
Guerrilla winemakers
June 30, 2015
One wine, in one place, for one year only. It's hard enough making wine in the same place each…
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #3: The results
June 17, 2015
Here are the top five wines from a tasting of 14 at the last Mr Vine panel tasting. This is the…
Wine matching: oeufs en cocotte
June 12, 2015
The recipe 250g small mushrooms wiped clean 50g butter 4 free range eggs 500ml double…
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #2: The results
June 2, 2015
The second Mr Vine Panel Tasting was another eclectic mix of wines from a variety of different…
Lidl Wine Cellar magazine: how many?!
May 28, 2015
Six million copies. Six meeeeeeeellion copies. That’s the print run of the Lidl Wine Cellar…
What I learned whilst judging The London Steak Awards
May 22, 2015
Hawksmoor Knightsbridge Over the past four weeks I've been helping to judge the 2015 London Steak…
Introducing the Mr Vine Tasting Panel
May 19, 2015
Yesterday saw the launch of a new wine app: it’s called Mr Vine. Say Hello to Mr Vine Mr Vine is an…
UK vermouth and amaro: you bitter believe it
April 28, 2015
In the UK we can be a bit prejudiced against flavoured wines and spirits. It’s not hard to see why…
Wine matching: Chocolate fondant
April 14, 2015
The recipe 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 100g dark chocolate 2 eggs, plus 2 egg…
Anosmia: The smell of silence
March 31, 2015
When visiting an art gallery, I prefer to wander alone rather than in company. To be left to…
Wine matching: Daube de Boeuf à la Provençale
March 17, 2015
This is a really handy recipe to have up your sleeve. It's not expensive, it's easy to…
Marlborough: The Fear of France?
March 3, 2015
If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you'll love Marlborough in New Zealand. Of its 22,903 hectares of…
Wine matching: Poulet Vallée d’Auge
February 17, 2015
After sketching out portraits of over 30 different French wine regions for my…
Braver New World
February 3, 2015
“Sorry I’m late sir. Ignore the bandage, I had an unexpected visit to the hospital to get my ear…
Chinon: Word to the wise
January 20, 2015
Cellar door, Domaine de la Roche Honneur, Chinon Chinon straddles the Vienne, a small tributary to…
South Africa: Vote Yes
January 6, 2015
Sometimes it takes events like the Scottish Referendum to make you realise that however ancient…
Cornas: Elemental force
December 23, 2014
Olivier at Domaine Clape, one of the best estates in Cornas Syrah is a versatile grape. At…
2013 Rhône Report – out now
December 9, 2014
Tasting with Philippe Guigal, July 2014 I spend one month every year compiling my annual Rhône…
Picpoul vs. Muscadet: When life gives you Melons
November 25, 2014
Picpoul or Muscadet? Like a weathered George Michael cynically observing a shiny young Justin…
Saumur: Precious stone
November 11, 2014
Fruits, herbs and spices are fairly common, but can you detect minerals in a wine? Certain…
Split infinity
October 28, 2014
What do you feel like drinking tonight? Red or white? Still or sparkling? Dry or sweet? With an…
Cafe Below: my latest wine list
October 14, 2014
After drinking it and writing about it, my next favourite wine-based pursuit is producing wine…
Bandol: Here be giants
September 30, 2014
The classic seaside town of Bandol, 20 miles to the east of Marseille, is a peaceful…
London wine bars – what you need to know
September 16, 2014
Decanter asked me to write a piece on London wine bars, it's in the current issue (November 2014),…
Gigondas: Châteauneuf’s little brother
September 2, 2014
There is a hierarchy within the family of villages that makes up the Southern Rhône.…
Decanter article: The New World of the Northern Rhône
August 19, 2014
I contributed an article to the recent Decanter Rhône Special (July 2014 issue) on Crozes-Hermitage…
Early drinking
August 5, 2014
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m beginning to miss the huge off-licence chains we had in the…
St Péray: Cut from a different cloth
July 22, 2014
St Péray on the left; Cornas on the right A quick intro to the wines of St Péray... Like a beauty…
Madiran: Blood reds
July 8, 2014
The vineyards of Madiran are hidden away in the foothills of the Pyrenees in Gascony. They stretch…
Newcomers on the scene
June 24, 2014
They wouldn’t have got past the elevator pitch in Dragons’ Den. “So you want to sell premium…
Tavel: Don’t judge a wine by its colour
June 10, 2014
A quick intro to the wines of Tavel... Of all the colours of the rainbow, the colour…
Chapoutier’s class of 2013
May 27, 2014
If the majority of the press surrounding the 2013 vintage in Bordeaux is to be believed, most en…
Gascogne: Of coops and co-ops
May 13, 2014
A quick intro to the wines of Gascogne... The Côtes de Gascogne, south of Bordeaux, is a sprawling…
Madeira quake
May 1, 2014
I always find it strange how fortified wines – Sherry, Port and Madeira – are so often portrayed…
Digging Graves
April 15, 2014
A quick intro to Graves... Every year, the two titans of Bordeaux – the Left Bank and Right Bank –…
Spend less, drink better
April 1, 2014
The UK is a nation of bargain hunters. There are more pound shops on Britain’s high streets than…
Grignan-Les-Adhémar: A red and white wedding
March 18, 2014
Often referred to as a single entity, the Rhône really consists of two distinct regions. The…
Recent articles: 2012 Rhône Report, White Rhône, New World wines and food
March 4, 2014
Here are links to three recent articles I've written that appear elsewhere on the web. Firstly, for…
Searching for the perfect Pinot Grigio
February 19, 2014
It’s OK, you can admit it. We’re all friends here. You don’t like Pinot Grigio, do you? To say so…
Saint Mont: Weird and wonderful
February 4, 2014
The vines behind the monastery at St Mont Some wine regions make it easy for us, planting…
Supergrapes vs. Evil Greegeo
January 21, 2014
Whenever I hear about a new graphic novel based around wine like The Drops of God or The Initiates,…
Minervois: press rehearsal
January 7, 2014
A brief intro to Minervois... Underneath the glowering Montagne Noire, due east of Carcassonne,…
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: critical mass
December 17, 2013
A quick intro to the wines of Châteauneuf... Exploring the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape can…
Contemporary drinking
December 12, 2013
Here's a link to a piece I wrote for The Wine Society's newsletter on changing attitudes to…
The First Rule of Wine Club
December 10, 2013
Over the past twenty years book clubs have become part of the social fabric of the UK. A recent…
Meursault: the fat of the land
December 3, 2013
A quick intro to the wines of Meursault... Meursault has a curious effect on me. I only need to…
Wine Buying Options Part 2: Supplementary channels
November 12, 2013
Yesterday we looked at the three primary channels for commercial wine buying in the UK:…
Wine Buying Options Part 1: Wholesalers, Agents, Direct to Producer
November 11, 2013
Here's a recent article I wrote for wrote for trade magazine Harpers Wine & Spirit on…
Cornas: the sweet smell of success
October 29, 2013
Olivier Clape Of all the red wines of the Rhône Valley, there is one that has an unfortunate…
No place like Beaune
October 15, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Beaune... If you’re new to Burgundy, the handsome city of…
Castillon: cast iron bargains
September 30, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Castillon... In terms of both reputation and prices Bordeaux…
No grannies allowed: proper sherry
September 16, 2013
Here's a link to an article I wrote on the rise of proper sherry for Imbibe magazine:…
Wedding wines – bling vs. bargain
September 16, 2013
When planning the wines for your wedding, sometimes it pays to look beyond the big names if you…
A wine lover’s guide to Granada
September 6, 2013
The Alhambra, the jewel of Andalusia, stands proudly overlooking the town of Granada. Constructed…
Vouvray: a class act
August 20, 2013
A brief introduction to Vouvray... The celebrity grape of the Loire Valley is Sauvignon Blanc.…
London’s wine scene: a tale of two cities
August 5, 2013
Considering its total lack of vineyards, London's long-established position in the wine world might…
Perfectly formed: the art of the short restaurant wine list
July 30, 2013
Many wine lists start out like ornate market gardens, with everything neatly laid out in sections…
Confessions of an English Condrieu drinker
July 23, 2013
A short introduction to Condrieu... There are few wines as wantonly hedonistic as Condrieu. It’s…
Canada: you can’t build an industry on Icewine
July 14, 2013
I wonder how many people buy themselves a second bottle of sparkling Icewine. Fun to try once, but…
We need to talk about sherry
July 2, 2013
Sherry butts. Wrong answer. Last year you wouldn’t be seen dead ordering a sherry. It was drunk…
Médoc: Reassuringly expensive
June 18, 2013
A quick intro to the wines of the Médoc... It not just the owners of Tarmac who have made a fortune…
We’re all going on a summer holiday… diary of a #frenchwinetrip
May 24, 2013
Saturday 1st June Day 8, homeward bound. After an enlightening, exhausting and thoroughly…
The Wine Snob: an endangered species?
May 14, 2013
The snob may look just like you and me, but it is parasite in disguise. It leaves its victim…
Chablis: Ice queen
April 30, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Chablis... You’d have trouble making drinkable wine further…
2011 Rhône: the George Harrison vintage
April 16, 2013
The Faravel brothers at Domaine de la Bouïssière © Søren Gudiksen Who was the best musician out of…
Gevrey-Chambertin: Deep Burgundy
April 6, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy… With over 600 vineyards across…
Communion wine: forbidden fruit
March 21, 2013
If Jesus had chosen something other than the fruit of the vine for his followers to worship him…
Bottles of paradise
March 5, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Corsica... In Corsica, the regional wine is designated ‘Vin de…
Everyday value? The best and worst of supermarket own label wines
February 20, 2013
Lined up against the wall in my hallway, they stood quietly like forlorn commuters queuing for a…
Hermitage: Hidden Dragon
February 7, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Hermitage... Some of the most eminent winemaking villages of…
Gaillac the Tortoise
January 22, 2013
Say the word ‘Gaillac’ and what does it conjure up? Not a lot. Florent Plageoles of leading estate…
Champagne: the smallest stars shine the brightest
January 15, 2013
A brief introduction to the wines of Champagne... Most of us have a favourite Champagne, the label…
Eleven Shades of Nebbiolo
January 8, 2013
To begin with I didn’t get it. Drinking Nebbiolo seemed like trying to swallow a cube, cut from a…
Thinking outside the shop
December 11, 2012
Some interesting things have been happening to the wine shop over the past few years. Evolutionary…
Alsace: snow whites
December 4, 2012
Alsace has a split personality. Tucked behind the Vosges mountains in north eastern France, this…
Christmas wines – which wine for which roast
November 27, 2012
I wonder what Scrooge’s idea of the perfect Christmas lunch would be? Roast pauper with all the…
The young tearaway of the south
November 13, 2012
Named after the local Occitan dialect (langue d’oc), the Languedoc is a huge swathe of land running…
A sketch of four German wine regions
November 6, 2012
I went over to Germany a few weeks ago to get a feel for the different regions and what was…
Northern Whites: wine in a cold climate
November 2, 2012
Inspiration can come in many forms. For Anders Selmer, his lightbulb moment was at a café in…
Beaujolais – beau et joli
October 23, 2012
Take a gentle walk around the diminutive Beaujolais region in eastern France and you can’t fail to…
Champagne: where the party’s really at
October 10, 2012
Sometimes I feel very lucky to be living in the UK when it comes to getting hold of good wine.…
The Grape Day Calendar
September 25, 2012
It all started a few years ago with Cabernet Day. So far in 2012 we’ve seen Carignan Day (29th…
Start drinking Furmint
September 11, 2012
To be sung to the tune of ‘Start Wearing Purple’ by Gogol Bordello: “Start drinking Furmint…
What the wine trade could learn from natural wines
August 29, 2012
“Wine’s not my kind of thing… it’s a bit, well, posh.” “It’s too complicated, I don’t understand…
St Emilion: Liquid Luxury
August 14, 2012
St Emilion, in a nutshell: first published in Living France magazine, but this is longer. For many,…
Pierre Mansour: Wine Society Selector
August 1, 2012
It does not sell Armand de Brignac ‘Ace of Spades’ Champagne, nor does it sponsor the drinks at…
Wine Sampling Session: Internet Face Off
July 19, 2012
If you buy the weekend newspapers you’re bound to see promotions from time to time for cases of…
Naked Wines – should you redeem that voucher?
July 5, 2012
Everyone loves a bargain. And there’s one little offer that keeps catching my eye – a voucher for…
Slovenia: Cracking wines
June 21, 2012
Driving across Slovenia doesn’t take long. About three hours from one corner to the other; it’s…
How to organise a wine tasting
May 25, 2012
When you arrange to meet your mates for an evening down the pub, no-one calls it a ‘beer tasting’,…
Sherry: Collision Course
May 8, 2012
Last week I posted a crash course on sherry. Sherry is a relic, a throwback from an earlier age of…
See you later Prometheus, here’s the trailer to Drink Me!
May 4, 2012
A couple of weeks ago we filmed a trailer for my new book, Drink Me. The idea behind it is to give…
Sherry: Crash Course
April 30, 2012
Who knew squid testicles could be so delicious? More to the point, which lunatic tried cooking with…
How to choose the wine for your wedding
April 10, 2012
When it comes to buying wine, if there’s one time you need to get maximum bang for buck it’s when…
Describing grape varieties: white grapes
March 27, 2012
Last week I tried to describe the character of the most common red grape varieties; party by…
Describing grape varieties: red grapes
March 20, 2012
Right, just a bit of fun this week. If there’s one good way of trying to guess what the wine in a…
When I hear ‘cult wine’ I reach for my revolver
March 13, 2012
I was walking around the recent Annual California Wine Tasting in London the other day and one…
The most widely planted grape in Japan: Koshu
February 28, 2012
It’s not every day I have the excuse to start a blog post with a haiku, but I do today, so here…
Dudley & de Fleury Wines: “it’s easy to fall in love with Fanny”
February 23, 2012
It has clearly been a hectic few months for the two Richards, Dudley and de Fleury. Operating for…
Austrian reds: don’t laugh
February 16, 2012
Supplier: “Hello Matt, what would you like to taste?” Me: “The St Laurent – I’m just tasting St…
The Art of Spitting
January 31, 2012
If you go to a lot of wine tastings, it’s easy to forget just how strange the whole spitting thing…
Oregon: Stunning Pinot Noir, suspect Pinot Gris
January 25, 2012
The most expensive bottle of wine I ever bought was a Pinot Noir. A Burgundy from a great vineyard,…
Mr Lawrence’s: a quietly inspiring wine merchant in southeast London
January 18, 2012
Sitting down, I ask Mr Lawrence to describe what Brockley was like when he first opened his wine…
En primeur: How to taste unfinished wines
January 10, 2012
As months go, we all know that January is a tedious windbag. But what it does have going for it is…
New Cru: the cream of the Languedoc
December 21, 2011
Powerful words, ‘Grand Cru’. Referring to a wine or a vineyard of the highest quality, this tiny…
Carignan the Barbarian
December 13, 2011
The Trailer (1982) For centuries, the gentle giant wandered carefree amongst the foothills and the…
Yes, THAT Lebanon
December 6, 2011
Some countries are on the fringes of wine production, and Lebanon is certainly one of them. Most…
Why there has never been a better time to get into wine – or Does Decanter magazine make you blush?
December 1, 2011
There was one magazine above all that I found embarrassing to buy as a student. I used to…
Wine Drinking No. 2: Biodynamic vs. Conventional, this time in Manchester
November 29, 2011
Last Friday, I made my way from a foggy London up to Manchester by train with a clinking suitcase…
Wine Drinking No. 1: Biodynamic vs. Conventional
November 22, 2011
A week ago, a bunch of us got together with the intention of opening a load of bottles. I prefer to…
Corison: elegant, drinkable, remarkable
November 16, 2011
For a producer with a well established, albeit understated, reputation, we were surprised to find…
Terroir in California: A New Hope
November 15, 2011
There were more than 2,500 wineries operating in the United States before Prohibition was instated…
Wine Rack: Back to the Future
November 8, 2011
Unwins; deceased. Threshers; defunct. Victoria Wine; departed. The era of the off-licence chain is…
Lea & Sandeman: Classic but up-to-date
November 4, 2011
Charles Lea and Patrick Sandeman set up their first shop 23 years ago, and now they have four, all…
Tesco Wine Fair: the good, the bad and the ugly
November 2, 2011
I’m not going to lie to you. The masochist in me just couldn’t wait to go to the Tesco Wine Fair.…
The future of wine packaging part 2: Bag-in-box, bang up-to-date
October 28, 2011
In yesterday's post, I mentioned a company called Sfuso who supply a couple of the shops in London…
The future of wine packaging part 1: None at all
October 27, 2011
I took a stroll down Amwell Street in Islington a couple of days ago and discovered a rather…
Majestic Wine Warehouses: Last man standing
October 25, 2011
There have been a lot of changes on the high street over the past few years when it comes to buying…
Why Californian wine is so expensive in the UK
October 20, 2011
It’s easy to forget how new California is to making wine. Whilst in Napa Valley last month, I had…
Waitrose: Still the best supermarket for wine
October 18, 2011
This year Waitrose have won all four major drinks awards for ‘Supermarket of the Year’…
The Wine Society: Impressive value
October 14, 2011
In a world of Enomatic machines, crowd sourcing and Twitter fire-sales, The International…
New trends in California: Moscato and Primitivo
August 30, 2011
White Zinfandel is dead. Long live Moscato! It is ubiquitous, and uniformly awful. It tends to have…