Andrew Jefford reports on an exceptional tasting of an exceptional vintage. By Andrew Jefford Andrew Jefford is joined by Bruno Besa and Michael Palij MW for a hugely successful and high-scoring tasting of 2019 Brunello di Monalcino, a vintage that came as a very welcome relief in southern Tuscany after the heat-scorched 2017 and the… Read More »
A string of extreme weather events continues to wreak havoc in Spain, this time in the northwestern regions of Bierzo and Valdeorras. A storm on 25 June hit Valtuille de Abajo and the surrounding areas, pummeling between 500-600 hectares of Bierzo’s most prized vineyards with hailstones the size of golf balls, crushing grapes, tearing leaves… Read More »
A profile of the California winery imbued with traditional French values of balance, elegance, and finesse. By Anthony Rose Anthony Rose talks to the father-and-daughter team overseeing Vérité, the Jackson family’s Petrus-inspired project in Sonoma. The Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976 was not just a wake-up call for an incredulous wine world; it was… Read More »
The Sotheby’s auction was devoted exclusively to Burgundy sourced from the legendary cellar of Taiwanese entrepreneur Pierre Chen. Bidders converged upon Couvent des Cordeliers in the heart of Beaune for Tuesday’s event, while buyers from 29 countries also participated online. The top lot featured six bottles of Chevalier Montrachet d’Auvenay 2009, which fetched €106,250 (£89,915).… Read More »
Wine production in the UK continues to flourish, at least according to the statistics. There are now more than 1000 vineyards across the country. Latest data from WineGB indicates that there are 1030 registered vineyards, marking a 9.2% increase year on year. Furthermore, wine sales have grown by 10% during this period, contrasting with declining… Read More »
Website: https://www.blackbankhill.com/ Taylor Emerson and John McLean are cousins, and they are the folk behind an exciting new winery in the Lincoln Lakeshore subdistrict of Niagara. John, who makes the wines, moved here from out west in 2021 where he was assistant winemaker at Le Vieux Pin in the Okanagan Valley. Taylor purchased this site… Read More »
English and Welsh wine producers sold a record 8.8 million bottles in 2023, which represents a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Production is expanding at a rapid pace in a bid to keep up with soaring demand, and 87 new vineyards were registered over the past year. That takes the total UK vineyard… Read More »
Eric Zwiebel MS, wine director at the Michelin-starred Samling Hotel in Windermere in the UK’s Lake District, gives his expert opinion on the current state of vinous play in Cyprus. By Eric Zwiebel MS Cyprus has a long winemaking tradition, but it is not well-known outside the island. That’s true. And currently, even the many… Read More »
June 2024 was a month focusing on Portuguese wines in independent wine merchants. For three weeks, I conducted a series of Instagram lives with various independent wine merchants in the UK who specialize in Portuguese wines. I tasted a selection of the wines they offered on camera, as part of a promotional activity program with… Read More »
Oz Clarke’s latest book is filled with accessible wisdom. By Raymond Blake Raymond Blake reviews Oz Clarke’s Story of Wine: 8000 Years, 100 Bottles by Oz Clarke. Not many wine people are widely known and easily recognized by their first name only, though not many have a name as memorable, easy to say and pronounce,… Read More »