Essays

The curious business of drinking wine in Britain

by  |  25-10-2019

While the dinner was a pop-up, the location was anything but clandestine being set at Mortimer House in London. The food wasn't secret, radical, or some weird fusion thing served off the back of an... more »

Why wine service matters

by  |  27-09-2019

I've been to a restaurant in Sant Gregori, Girona for several extended family meals on various days for these simple reasons: the food is quite good (see above), it's not far-flung from civilization, and the... more »

Perhaps a #dryjuly for the future?

by  |  28-08-2019 ~ 4 Comments

When living in Spain, July and August mark the time of year that I patently hate as everything grinds to a halt--doubly so when there are the now annual strikes at the airport. While August... more »

When the village goes dry

by  |  07-08-2019

On July 25th the village of Gratallops ran out of water. A village of 226 people, 23 wineries, three hotels, multiple holiday rentals, and seven restaurants/cafés had neither water to drink, nor to shower with,... more »
Cartoon by Mike Lester: mikelester.com

A guide to what’s good, bad, & questionable in wine titles

by  |  16-07-2019 ~ 7 Comments

Long gone are the days of a bellied, middle-aged white man proclaiming himself a wine expert because well, he likes wine and wants to tell you about what he likes. No, we've reached an age... more »

A more balanced amendment to OIV judging guidelines?

by  |  09-05-2019 ~ 1 Comment

Given the amount of wine competitions and people touting themselves as "professional wine judges" these days, it may seem to the general public that setting up such an endeavor takes little more than coming up... more »
Do not get between Allison Janney and a porró.

Guzzling with the stars; six new celebrity wines

by  |  18-03-2019

From press releases about Sarah Jessica Parker's forays wearing gumboots into the vineyards of New Zealand, to Brangelina's lucrative Provençal Rosé adventures, to Jon Bon Jovi's uh, Rosé, to Drew Barrymore's, uh... other Rosé (wtf?)... more »

How to visit the Priorat wine region

by  |  27-01-2019 ~ 4 Comments

Despite the fact that I travel a lot for writing about wine, when I'm around in Priorat, I'm happy to lead tastings and tours. Sharing such great wines and opening up minds to how much... more »

How that “wine influencer” might well be a fraud

by  |  10-01-2019 ~ 12 Comments

"Influencer" is a word many of us will have heard of at this point even if not in marketing circles where it's the current brass ring in terms of social media advertising campaigns. In brief,... more »

Üllo: Why the wine sulfites & headaches myth never dies…

by  |  06-12-2018 ~ 2 Comments

So as is typically the case, the claim was framed as such: "A wine filter that will make your pinot noir headaches disappear" and as always, the claim was most assuredly not true and probably... more »