Like most businesses January is the time for us to look back at the year and see what worked, what didn’t, and what patterns emerged. One of the main things we noticed was the number of requests for single bottles or cases to be split into smaller quantities. We have always been keen to offer our […]
As 2020 comes to a close we wanted to look back at a few wines that we have tried over the last year and focus on those that stood out for us. 2020 has seen few large tasting events and many smaller zoom tastings so everyone has had fewer wines to taste this year than is
There is little doubt that Bordeaux has some of the best and most expensive wines in the world. However, it is not the most scenic place to visit – somewhat flat and rather dull in parts it doesn’t offer a landscape that excites. What it does offer though, is some of the most diverse and
There are certain wine producing areas that are synonymous with red wine: Bordeaux, Rhône, Rioja. It is easy to forget that white wine is produced in these regions not least because they tend to get overshadowed by the well-known reds. Yet there has been a gradual shift over the last decade and the quality and availability
Over the years we have found ourselves increasingly drawn to Tuscan wines, principally because of their diversity. The fashion for non-indigenous grape varieties that emerged in the mid-20th century spawned the Super Tuscan and a culture of freedom in how wine was produced. There are many different grape varieties grown in the region and all are
When presented with the ubiquitous glass of fizz at a celebration you tend to pay little attention to what you are actually consuming. The surrounding event will be far more engaging than what is in the glass. If you were to be presented with an appropriately aged Blanc de Blancs Champagne I would hope the
There is a certain amount of expectation when you’re a wine merchant that every bottle you bring to a dinner party or give as a gift is going to be exceptional. We try as many wines as we can but it’s not to say we have tried them all and sometimes we like to experiment
During the spring lockdown a cosy night in was still a luxury, but after six months, it has rather lost its sheen. This time last year we were relishing the changes that autumn brings and the prospect of hunkering down for the winter with plenty of good food and wine. We were slowing down after
Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast, is littered with the greats from the Italian wine making world: Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Antinori, Gaja. These behemoths have set the bar high for both quality and price for the region. So when you find yourself surrounded by the them you may be excused for feeling a little intimidated as proximity
2015 was a good year for most of the wine world but particularly for Bordeaux. It was sunny and warm and nearly everyone got the chance to make a decent wine from their crop. There are, of course, those wines that outshone others but it was most noticeably a year where producers we don’t tend
Argentina spent the majority of the 20th century shrouded in trouble and political instability. Despite having all the key elements to create a wine industry worthy of taking on the old establishment, investors never felt secure enough to really put the time and money into the areas that showed real potential. However the 1990s saw a
Being wrong about something should be approached with grace and humility which is why we will hold our hands up and say that we, wrongly, judged a wine solely on the basis of its name. A gaudy wine label or an off the wall name has a tendency to make us wary of the wine it
The weather may have been glorious these last few days but the joys of a long weekend away have been taken from us. So let us provide some escapism by taking you on a little jaunt down the Loire, France’s longest river. The region is studded with over a thousand chateaux each with its own distinctive
Camping with small children is fairly torturous. After a week in a frequently rain soaked campsite in Brittany we were in dire need of some vestige of relaxation. A brief trip into the local town gave us the chance to investigate the local wine merchants and we emerged (after the only 5 minutes the children
19th Century Sherry I am a big fan of Sherry. It reminds me of growing up in southern Spain where the old men would be in permanent position at the rickety tables in front of the local bar slowly working their way through the afternoon heat with endless sherry and animated chat. But they are
Reacquaint yourself with an old friend There’s something comforting and familiar about Rioja. It’s like the old friend you perhaps don’t see very often but when you do it’s like old times. Whether you drink it regularly or not most people could happily come up with a couple of adjectives to describe Rioja that will
We don’t spend a huge amount of time in the New World; we have a tendency to gravitate towards France, Spain and Italy because most of what we know and like comes from there. But we would be doing ourselves and the wine world a disservice if we didn’t occasionally look outside of Europe. Argentina,
Achieving first growth status is the holy grail in Bordeaux so for two chateaux to achieve it in the same year is a rather astonishing feat. Especially as one has been the subject of a transatlantic war of words. St Emilion developed its own classification system in the 1950’s but, unlike the 1855 classification in
That time of year has rolled around again where everyone wants to tell you how to enjoy the cold weather and the festivities. Wrap up warm and soak up the winter sun before heading home to celebrate in front of the fire with a nourishing and warming glass of red wine. As the average person benefits from
Opening a bottle of wine to discover it’s too old, too young, faulty, or worse, just distinctly average, is fairly irritating. But it shouldn’t put you off trying something new. We like to experiment and take risks with wine, that’s how we started out and we continue to open weird and wonderful bottles on an
A classic Italian wine that has all the attributes one would expect from this part of the world – big, bold and comes with its very own scandal. Brunello di Montalcino is made from a strain of Sangiovese that was a localised clone recognised as such in the late 1800’s. It gained DOCG status in
Is there value to be found in Bordeaux? This is a question that gets asked frequently and answered in a myriad of ways. But it is not a question that should be asked in such broad terms: Bordeaux produces an incomprehensible amount of wine, some good, some great, some terrible. Its many tiers of quality,
Terroir and Character in the Douro Valley Port is one of the mainstays of any drinks cupboard. It always makes an appearance at Christmas and, depending on whose house you’re in, may well have been there since the dawn of time. It is fairly easy stuff to come across and the main Port houses, whether Portuguese or British,
A description some may find odd as Syrah is known for its meaty, spicy red wines that can sometimes bowl you over with smoke and pepper. However, Côte Rôtie in the Northern Rhône produces a softer more delicate incarnation of Syrah with a perfumed and floral nose. Traditionally the difference has always been put down to the inclusion
