Articles

Scala Dei’s Artigots 2017

by  |  08-02-2021

If visiting the 12th century monastery of La Cartoixa in the village of Escaladei, you’d be forgiven for not noticing the dirt road that wobbles up along the left side of the old stone walls.... more »

DO Tarragona gets a different taste of the bubbly

by  |  05-02-2021

DO Tarragona has just announced significant changes to their Plec de Condicions which are working to shape their regulatory rules to reflect the current market trends of wine, especially when it comes to bubbles. They’ve... more »

A tasting of Sommos Garnacha

by  |  03-02-2021

The last day I was up in Barbastro to research the Somontano Report, I visited Sommos to sit down with the winemaker, José Javier Echandi, over lunch and discuss what they’re doing in their massive,... more »

The wines of DO Somontano for 2021

by  |  01-02-2021

Secreted away along a bend in the Vero River, Barbastro is a surprisingly large town of nearly 17,000 people in north-eastern Aragón. It’s historic as well, having been founded during Roman times when it was... more »

DOQ Priorat prepares to approve new varieties

by  |  28-01-2021

News in the grape variety department this week revolved around the final approval given by the French INAO regulatory body approving six new varieties for use in Bordeaux. This has come about due to a... more »

In The Glass: André Clouet Brut Millésimé 2008

by  |  27-01-2021

And now for something different as I don’t really drink much Champagne. I know, I know, it’s horridly sacrilegious as I’ve been told repeatedly by many a colleague in the UK wine trade. But, being... more »

An update on Priorat’s Vall Llach winery destruction

by  |  25-01-2021

As was reported on January 10th, the primary cellar holding nearly all the wines of Vall Llach in Porrera collapsed under the weight of snow from “Storm Filomena”. Due to the ongoing municipal confinement, it... more »

In The Glass: Hay Shed Hill Pitchfork Shiraz 2017

by  |  22-01-2021

So we arrive again to Margaret River. I say “again” as I’ve been here before, writing about the Vasee Felix Cabernet Sauvignon which was simply delightful. Admittedly this wasn’t a terribly huge shock given how... more »
Going your own way means a lot more paperwork

Revisiting the disclosure issue in wine writing

by  |  20-01-2021 ~ 8 Comments

The assault on journalism never stops. Just within the last week I've seen two grave ethical violations of purported "journalism" in wine, and these are but the latest examples... One was an article about Georgian... more »

A book review of “Wine for Normal People”

by  |  18-01-2021

Writing an introductory text on wine is no small feat. A book that takes someone from, “Sure, I like wine, top me off!” to “Lemme breakdown the Médoc for you.” is a journey spanning two... more »