Hidden in the basement of the Adam Street Private Members Club, Adam St, London, you'll find 'The Gallery,' a corner enclave where UK boutique wine supplier Hallowed Ground hosted their recent autumn portfolio tasting.
I have discovered Sicily! Granted, an erroneous statement to make, as history shows many people got there before me. What I meant was this...Sicily, as an outstanding wine region-island, came into my line of sight this week.
En-route to the sixteenth century Salentein castle in Nijkerk, wind-farms replace windmills. Once crunching the gravel drive, I glimpse decorators painting window frames. The structure has evolved from mud house to mansion and children's home. For the past 30 years it served as headquarters of Pon Holdings, established by entrepreneur-tycoon, Mijndert Pon, also founder behind the Argentinian wine brand, Salentein.
Read more...After a four rather than customary two-year gap on account of the football World Cup in South Africa in 2010, the Cape Wine trade fair returned to Cape Town this week. A huge number of interesting and high quality South African wines were available for tasting, in the presence of a phalanx of winemakers at the Cape Town Convention Centre. Harpers sampled scores of the wines, and here are some of the highlights, all of which should be available in the UK.
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Stained teeth and many a purple-tinged smile at Wednesday's well-attended Argentina Annual Trade Tasting at Lord's attested to the overwhelming predominance of red wines on show - mostly Malbec of course. And while this floral-scented charmer may deservedly continue to play first fiddle in these Andean vineyards, Bonarda is snapping at its heels.
Read more...The annual Wines of Chile trade tasting found itself settling in at its new home this week, the MCC, or Lord's to the rest of us. Over 80 exhibitors turned up to showcase just over 850 wines, including some familiar faces, Errazuriz, Cono Sur, Valdivieso, and some not so familiar faces, Junta, Quebrada de Macúl and, one of my favourites, Quintay. The last three wineries are seeking UK agents so please, at least, someone pick up Quintay.
Read more...Anne Krebiehl went along to the first of Professor Barry Smith's experimental oenological seminars for an eye-opening tasting.
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Croatia is an area that has caused one or two murmurings recently. For me it's a bit of an unknown quantity. So what better way to bring myself up to speed on the Balkan states wine industry by sitting in on a couple of seminars explaining, and sampling, the delights of the nation's vinous offering's.
As the men and women of the beach volleyball teams fought it out in the preliminary matches on Horse Guards Parade below us, another measuring up took place at the Penthouse of New Zealand House: The New Zealand Medal Winners Tasting.
Read more...If you head west from Perpignan up the picturesque Agly valley, you
encounter the winery of Mas Amiel some 50km inland.
For fine wine enthusiasts who have invested in the past 18 months there has been little to cheer about. The market has experienced a general downturn in value, but still holds it own when measured against other asset classes. Those who have been in the market for a number of years are relaxed, having more of a feel for the natural dynamics of the correction we have endured since mid 2011.
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High Timber in London, a South African based restaurant with a wine cellar containing 40,000 bottles for your pleasure, played host to a motley crew of wine writers and bloggers recently as Wines of South Africa fired up the barbie for a good old South African Braai.
When La Revue de Vin de Fance, the esteemed French wine magazine, gave Foncalieu one of its coveted annual awards in Paris in January, the wine world sat up and took note. Les Vignobles Foncalieu, to give them their full name, was crowned French co-operative of the year, following in the footsteps of La Chablisienne in Chablis and Embres et Castelmaure in Corbieres. Twenty years after its formation as a union of co-operatives, the Languedoc-centred Foncalieu had won a most notable accolade.
Amyas John Symington died on June 28 2012 in northern Portugal.
Security was tighter than normal for a London wine tasting, but as it was held at Lancaster House - a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace- and showcased the official selection of wines for the London Olympics I came prepared with ID.
Read more...Vinho Verde is a wine marketing gift: alliterative headlines; light, aromatic white wines; numerous indigenous grape varieties; moderate alcohol; affinity to tapas style food; and is helping to put Portugal firmly on the interesting wine regions radar.
Read more...The fanfare surrounding the launch of Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 2004 reached a climax today with a tutored tasting on stage at the London Coliseum, the grandiose home of the English National Opera.
Read more...It was an evening of evening of 'real' wine and wild food at North Road.
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Got an email the other morning, would I be interested in covering a food & wine event in London? I'd get the chance to learn about Spanish cooking, do a bit myself (worrying), and sit in on a sparkling wine masterclass. How could I say no!
