Centuries may have passed since Guelf squared off against Ghibelline, the Bianchi' against the Neri', the Capulets against the Montagues. The elections are over, Prodi has sneaked past Berlusconi, the condemnations and recriminations of the past year or so are behind us, and yet Italians today are back in the midst of what they appear to like best: squabbling.
While Jim Murray and the wider SWA membership will no doubt continue to disagree with each other on the use of the term Blended Malt Scotch Whisky' to describe a blend of malt whiskies (In the mix', Harpers, 23 June), it is important to remember the reasons for its choice.
Read more...You can always trust good old reliable Gluck to hit the nail straight on the head. His excellent article (Return of the sponger', Harpers, 23 June) highlights a parasite that should be eradicated as soon as possible.
I was interested to learn about the potential for intra-European varietal wines in the not-so-distant future, given the content of draft proposals for EU wine reform.
Read more...All good things must come to an end is one of those throwaway lines parents use to placate a bawling child who doesn't want to give up something enjoyable he/she is doing. It seems a bit like that this weekend, in that the World Cup finishes on Sunday, the hot weather we have been enjoying (at the time of writing) is forecast to finish today (Friday) and Bordeaux may be facing the end of its en primeur system of buying.
At last we have them - another crucial set of figures to add to the much-flaunted, much-vaunted alcohol, dry extract and tannin levels of the wines: the prices of 2005 Bordeaux. And the really shocking thing? Not that a few are absurdly high, even higher than predicted, to the point that Parker himself is advising against them; nor that some people are still prepared to pay them; but rather that they may not be high enough, at both ends of the market, to prevent the collapse of the en primeur system that produced them.
Read more...The European Commission's press conference on the Thursday before last was bordering on the farcical, apparently - shades of the Eurovision Song Contest 20 years ago. But it served to illustrate how difficult it is to get anything agreed in this vast sprawling organisation.
Read more...The suggestion to remove 400,000 hectares of vines - three times South Africa's wine-producing area - is breathtaking to say the least.
Read more...Neil Beckett heads to not one but two recently opened London restaurants run by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, and finds two very different wine lists, in terms of individuality and margin
Read more...In years gone by, news that the European Commission is to draw up a strategy for reforms in the European Union's wine sector would barely have raised an eyebrow. It's a French/Italian/Spanish problem - let them deal with it. Not any more.
Read more...There's a wintry chill in the air in the Cape, and winemakers are taking a well-earned break, hoping to reap the rewards of their hard work during previous vintages at the many competitions underway, both locally and abroad.
Read more...Yes, it's here. It's arrived. After all the hype, the World Cup is finally under way. And we are now facing up to four weeks of anguish, depending on how Becks, Rooney et al fare in what is the most important sporting event in the world.
Read more...Yes, it's here. It's arrived. After all the hype, the World Cup is finally under way. And we are now facing up to four weeks of anguish, depending on how Becks, Rooney et al fare in what is the most important sporting event in the world.
Read more...Well, the long-awaited re-run of the now legendary Judgement of Paris tasting threw up another victory for California. And I think it is fair to say that Ridge's victory surprised most in the trade.
A few years ago, writers commenting on Australian wine always referred to the largest producers - such as Hardys, Rosemount and Penfold's - when discussing the country's export marketing strategy.
Read more...There was a pause during the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) seminar at the wine trade fair last week when Stewart Blunt of market researchers AC Nielsen stated that their latest MATs (moving annual totals) showed that growth in off-trade wine sales had plateaued in the first half of the year. For many of us - deep in waste minimisation mode - it took a moment for the penny to drop.
Despite the best efforts of marketing and design gurus, the audience at this year's Harpers debate were unconvinced that what's outside the bottle is more important than what's inside.
Read more...I am astounded that you published the letter from Franois Mauss regarding the 30th anniversary of the 1976 Paris Tasting (Harpers 12 May) without bothering to contact the person who organised the tasting in 1976, and who is organising the tasting in 2006.
Read more...Spending a Monday night in a party atmosphere with free-flowing cocktails and Thai-style canaps, while watching a Thai fashion show and traditional dance display, is a surreal experience.
Read more...Just as we have started to come to terms with Dan Jago, formerly of Bibendum, taking on the role of category director for beers, wines and spirits at Tesco, we hear that Sainsburys has a new business unit director - a Frenchman, who has arrived via Auchan and Tesco Ireland.
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