Thinking outside the shop
December 11, 2012
Some interesting things have been happening to the wine shop over the past few years. Evolutionary pressures appear to have pushed it into unexpected territory. Ten years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to buy your wine in a shop served by a 50-something-year-old man wearing at least one of the following: a bow tie, a freshly ironed apron and a faint air of disdain. Sure, such relics are still to be…
Alsace: snow whites
December 4, 2012
Alsace has a split personality. Tucked behind the Vosges mountains in north eastern France, this region has been fought over with bordering Germany for centuries. It now feels like somewhere between the two. Pastel coloured timber frame buildings line the streets, giving villages a slightly surreal fairytale air. The local Alsatian dialect has more in common with Swiss German than French, and the…
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 trimmings I suspect, washed down with a few bottles of claret. Well if you can’t treat yourself on Christmas Day, when can you? If you’re opting for a more traditional roast this year, different types of meat taste their best with different types of wine. The general rule of thumb is the more intense…
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 from Narbonne in the west to Nimes in the East, stretching 70km inland from the coast. Every type of terrain imaginable is represented, from grassy plains to jagged mountains, dense forests to swaying palms. But much of it is rocky, rugged and rough. Some of the winemakers are too. Broadly speaking…
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 happening over there. Although they are mostly bunched together around the border with France, each region has a very different identity. Rheinhessen Rolling low green hills and golden fields of wheat. Fertile arable land, with various crops planted amongst the vines. Pretty villages amongst lush pastures,…
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 Copenhagen, and it was shaped like a turnip: “I was served a…
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 be struck by just how pretty it is. Neat villages are scattered over this jumble of green hills like freckles on youthful cheeks. The wine trail is 20 miles from top to tail, but it’s the northern half, sitting just underneath the southernmost part of Burgundy, that is most rewarding. It’s an easy…
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. Since the UK has historically been an importer of other countries’ wines, rather than producer of its own, the UK wine industry has tended to be open-minded and meritocratic when it comes to the wines it sells. This has led to a diverse range of countries, regions, grapes, producers and vintages, giving…
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 February) and Grenache Day (21st September). But what about those lesser known varieties – don’t they deserve a day too? Well I’ve come up with the Grape Day Calendar for easy reference. Looking to celebrate Godello Day? That’s 25th April. Gamay lover? Keep your best bottles for 10th June. I thought it…
Start drinking Furmint
September 11, 2012
To be sung to the tune of ‘Start Wearing Purple’ by Gogol Bordello: “Start drinking Furmint drinking Furmint, Start drinking Furmint for me now, All your sanity – and wits – they will all vanish, I promise, It’s just a matter of time.” My Eastern European geography isn’t great. If you give me a pen, and ask me to draw the borders of Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia the results…