Articles

WSET vs CMS

by  |  20-08-2020 ~ 29 Comments

Wine education is something not to be undertaken lightly. There's the investment of time and, well, a great deal of money. There's also the issue of choosing the right direction which can be hard to... more »
Photo from DOC Rioja

A better understanding of Rioja’s “Viñedos Singulares”

by  |  17-08-2020

In 2019, the first “Viñedos Singulares” or “single vineyards” in DOC Rioja were certified. This first batch saw 84 vineyards certified under the new scheme, covering 154ha, which I think by any measure would be... more »

In The Glass: Sangenís i Vaqué – Lo Coster Blanc 2018

by  |  14-08-2020

Everyone in marketing these days is emphasizing the importance of “the story” over all else. Those of us who drink wine like to think that what really counts is in the bottle though. Thankfully, this... more »

A book review of “Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2020”

by  |  12-08-2020

South Africa has been having a tough go of it recently in terms of alcohol but especially when it comes to the wine industry. I made a video a few weeks back expecting it to... more »

The Great Gazpacho Tasting 2020

by  |  10-08-2020

There are but two things which will unite any person holding a Spanish passport: an utter hatred of politicians and a complete love of gazpacho. For those who might not know it, gazpacho is a... more »

A book review of “Brut Force”

by  |  05-08-2020

Last year I reviewed the first book in the Felix Hart series of novels called, “Corkscrew”. My review was admittedly not too kind as while the book was a fun, lighthearted take down of the... more »

A bunch of cool Croatian grapes for the summer

by  |  03-08-2020

Yet another hot summer arrived in Croatia, but it certainly feels a bit different this year. There are far less tourists, which is actually not that bad as you don’t have to elbow your way... more »

The wines of DOQ Priorat in 2020

by  |  30-07-2020

Having written about the wines of Priorat for nearly a decade, some readers might wonder if I’m perhaps a touch bored of, you know, year in, year out tasting Grenache and Carignan wines from these... more »

What’s a Sommelier?

by  |  27-07-2020 ~ 16 Comments

The sommelier. What was once just the guy in the room with a corkscrew has become one of the sexier titles to hold these days. But what does it mean? The most basic definition of... more »

Understanding the Corpinnat wine region, in 3D

by  |  24-07-2020

The producers behind Corpinnat are always striving to show how the definition of their region (which isn’t a DO yet) differs from that of both DO Cava as well as DO Penedès as these two... more »