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I Have Measured Out My Life in Wine Cellars
If writers ought to dispense advice only on subjects they have had personal experience of, I am well equipped to advise on wine cellars
3 days ago


Exploring Wines in Utiel-Requena With Bodegas Hispano+Suizas: Far more than Bobal and a Long Way from Bulk Wine
The quality-focused Hispano+Suizas winery is helping to transform the reputation of southeast Spain's Utiel-Requena wine region
Jul 2, 2024

Why the CEO of a Champagne House Took on the Challenge of Creating a Zero-Alcohol £100-a-bottle Sparkling Wine
This new non-alcoholic sparkling wine is aimed at lovers of mature vintage Champagne with money to spare
Jun 4, 2024


An English Wine Discovery: Woodchester Valley Reserve Cuvée
A discovery – at least for me, if not for people in the Cotswolds. I don’t think of Gloucestershire when I’m thinking about English...
Oct 25, 2023


Going Beyond Sparkling Wine: England's New Still Wines
Chardonnay vines in The King's Vineyard, Rochester, Kent, planted on the site of the vineyard of the medieval priory. Simpsons Wine...
Jun 16, 2023


WINE OF THE WEEK: Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti 2021, Italy
£16.17 (75cl), Great Wines Direct; £9.90–£11.50 (37.5cl), Vinvm, Oddbins, Noble Green Wines, The Whalley Wine Shop, Great Wines Direct...
Aug 11, 2022


Celebrating English Wines
My picks for the second weekend of English Wine Week celebrations. Not that they're only for English Wine Week. English wines are for...
Jun 24, 2022


Picks for English Wine Week 2021
Chardonnay vines in The King's Vineyard, Rochester, Kent, recently planted on the site of the vineyard of the medieval priory. Simpsons...
Jun 23, 2021


WINE OF THE WEEK: Balfour Winemaker Collection Saignée Brut, Kent, England
£29.99 (mix six), Majestic; £35, hushheath.com I'm posting early again this week to give you extra time to get this celebration-ready...
Dec 30, 2020


Festive Fizz 2020: Anything But Champagne
It may be a festive season unlike any other, but we'll still need wine of all sorts –perhaps more than ever. The first of my 2020...
Nov 18, 2020


Festive Fizz 2019: anything but Champagne
The first of the season's round-ups of recommendations is sparkling wines, from far and near but not Champagne – that gets its own show...
Nov 27, 2019


Down in a deep, dark sea... Drappier Champagnes
Encrusted sea-aged Grande Sendrée 2008 and a pristine bottle conventionally matured in Drappier's Champagne cellars in the Aube Why age...
Oct 25, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Champagne, France
£34/£27, Tanners Wines I wasn't planning to do Champagne this week, but now is the time to stock up on this Joseph Perrier. The current...
Oct 17, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Jansz Premium Rosé, Tasmania, Australia
£15.80–£21.99, Frazier's Wine, Slurp, Field & Fawcett, Flagship Wines, Ocado, NY Wines, Amazon, Selfridges I can’t think of a better or...
Sep 5, 2019


English sparkling wine taste-off
You wait ages for a new vintage of an English sparkling Blanc de Blancs, then two come along at once: Nyetimber 2013 and Gusbourne 2014....
Apr 5, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Graham Beck Brut Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Western Cape, South Africa
£10.99 (offer price), Waitrose Crowd-pleasingly approachable fizz with generous nutty, toasty, yeasty, fresh bread flavours wrapped...
Dec 27, 2018


Festive fizz for 2018: anything except Champagne
17 December: I've updated this post (first published on 3 December) with the addition of two more English wines: Denbies Cubitt Blanc de...
Dec 17, 2018


From wine book editor to Winemaker of the Year – 5-minute Q&A with Emma Rice
I first met Emma Rice when she was the editor of the second edition of my book Discovering Wine. She went on to become one of the UK's...
May 29, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Bluebell Vineyard Hindleap Rosé Brut 2014, England
£29.95, Bluebell Vineyard Estates English Wine Week starts on Saturday. There's no guarantee of good weather, especially as there's a...
May 24, 2018


WINE OF THE WEEK: Arthur Metz Crémant d’Alsace Brut 2015, Alsace, France
£14.99, Ocado One taste of this and you understand why Crémant d’Alsace is the most popular sparkling wine in France (aside from...
Mar 29, 2018
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