Lost in translation
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…
The Gold Standard
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…
Ventoux: wild wild East
“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…
The Hunter Valley Wine Show
I’ve just returned from a week’s judging at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, a couple of hours north of Sydney. It was a fascinating week, both in terms of the wines themselves and the…
Two Decanter tastings: Germany and Rhone
When it comes to organising tastings, Decanter, as you might expect, are pretty adept - their tasting room in London is one of my favourite places to work through a lot…
Less tasting more drinking
Genwine
Until recently, being a wine enthusiast has been up there with collecting Benny Hill memorabilia or indulging in Dungeons & Dragons cosplay: a slightly suspect but essentially…
The 2016 London Steak Awards: rare qualities
Last week was exhausting. In the course of judging the 2016 Graffigna London Steak Awards I had to visit four of London’s best steak restaurants on four consecutive nights. I…
German Syrah: Some like it cool
At the first wine course I ever took the tutor explained that Syrah and Shiraz are actually the same grape but under different names. It felt like an…
Chapoutier 2015 Sélections Parcellaires: the best vintage since 1990?
Every spring, Rhône ringleader Michel Chapoutier comes to London to unveil the new vintage of his top single vineyard wines, the Sélections…