Definitive Wine Guides
A window back into the pre-pandemic

The guide to terrible tasters

by  |  17-03-2017

While spring means changing clocks and remembering to take an umbrella with you, for those of us in the wine world, it means that it's the season of wine tastings. I have yet to understand... more »

Why regulating “natural wine” is a very good thing

by  |  15-12-2016 ~ 6 Comments

Recently, Suzanne Mustacich, contributing editor to Wine Spectator and author of "Thirsty Dragon" wrote a lengthy article that discusses how the French are working to define what "natural wine" is. It's a noble pursuit which... more »
Emeril Lagasse, well-known showcooker

Showcooking & Wordsenglish in Catalan wine

by  |  17-10-2016 ~ 2 Comments

There really isn't a week that passes in Catalunya where I don't see some event that has a session of "showcooking" scheduled. I'm not really sure how this word entered the regular vernacular although to... more »

How to write wine tasting notes

by  |  03-08-2016 ~ 2 Comments

It's probably the case that you've picked up a bottle of wine and looked at the back label to read more about it. There, various words have been strung together to describe the wine which... more »

Taking the Court of Master Sommeliers Level 2 – Certified Sommelier Exam

by  |  28-12-2015 ~ 20 Comments

You read up on the differences between the WSET & the Court of Master Sommeliers, you went the sommelier path and you passed the CMS Level 1. Thus, you have arrived. Now, is where it... more »

Differences of: CMS, WSET, Master Sommelier, & Master of Wine

by  |  05-12-2015 ~ 1 Comment

Please note that while there's a wealth of information here, I've written an updated version of this education analysis as well that would be worth your while to read. Years ago, I found myself quite... more »

A life sans caviste is not living at all

by  |  09-08-2013 ~ 3 Comments

There are two definitions for the French word, "caviste". The first is the enological one in that it is the person in charge of the cellar. The second would be easy to translate simply as... more »