Christina Pickard: There's something wrong with my palate

Being a new arrival in an industry, let alone a country, can be an isolating boat to be sailing in. And while I have been welcomed with open arms into a wine industry full of kind and generous people here in Western Australia, I'm feeling slightly like a fish out of water.

Allan Cheesman on LWF 2014

Just received the latest Harpers and the review of changes for the LWF 2014. Great stuff and a real attempt by Ross and the Brintex team to rejuvenate, invest and bring the fair to the new era - whatever that may be.

Harpers Design Awards 2013

Design is a key element of brand development and awareness. If you have recently redesigned or launched your drinks brand or you are a design agency representing a great product, enter the Harpers Wine & Spirit Design Awards and gain the recognition you deserve.

Mike Matthews on Stevens Garnier's Portuguese portfolio

Portuguese wines are good, fact! I'm not entirely sure why I tend to ignore them at trade events.

Miguel Cruz Liljegren: Why sommeliers need to raise their PR online

Why sommeliers need to raise their PR online

Jenny Mackenzie on the Co-op's 'eclectic' wine range

Jenny Mackenzie reports from Majestic's summer tasting

Despite its size - 193 stores and counting - Majestic manages to retain a personal touch, with a biannual magazine written by its "graduate staff" and autonomous tweeting from each branch.

Douglas Blyde gets to know the Martini at Duke's Hotel

Claire Smith, global ambassador for super-premium Polish vodka brand Belvedere, co-hosted a Martini masterclass at Duke's Hotel with head barman Alessandro Palazzi. Amid oils of shiny horses and brass-buttoned riders, Smith preceded proceedings with: "It's not a hard sell to hang out with Alessandro at Duke's..."

Gilbert Winfield on the intricacies of the new "Chianti Classico Revolution"

Albert Eistein, a man who knows a thing or two about the difference between complication and simplicity, once said: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." This was brought to my mind last month when the great and the good of the wine writing world (and I) gathered in a packed room in Somerset House for a press conference to introduce the 'Chianti Classico Revolution" at the combattantly named 'Tuscany Strikes Back' tasting. Perhaps the Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico could take Einstein's message to heart, too.

Justin Keay meets the Californian winemakers who are throwing away the rulebook

For UK consumers tucking into a bottle of wine from California's Central Coast, chances are that it will be from Monterey County, lying just south of San Francisco.

Douglas Blyde takes a trip to the wineries of Slovenia

Klemen Mle?nik fleetingly casts eyes to a clearing high in the densely-forested hills. There, a five metre high inscription made of stones proclaims 'TITO' in capitals. "Older people maintain it"...

Jenny Mackenzie on Marks & Spencer's spring tasting

A key focus of M&S's spring press tasting was to show the 'major refresh' of the Italian range, overseen by winemaker Jeneve Williams, working with buyer Emma Dawson.

Douglas Blyde enjoys a night out with Beringer wines and premium US cuisine at CUT, Park Lane

Laurie Hook, Beringer's seventh winemaker since the winery was founded in 1896, hosted dinner at Wolfgang Puck's first European restaurant, CUT, Park Lane recently to showcase its range of premiuim Californian wines.

The List: The Providores

Anne Krebiehl navigates the 99% Kiwi wine list at London's Providores and Tapa Room

Sommelier's view: Cedric Beaumond, Bo

The newest addition to Bo London's team is Cedric Beaumond, previously head sommelier and wine manager at what he describes as the "relatively comfortable" Savoy Grill.

Alvin Cheung: searching for perfection at Bo London

The self-dubbed 'Demon Chef', Alvin Leung does not do anything by halves, as Douglas Blyde discovers while delving...

Jenny Mackenzie finds much to discover at Wine Society tasting

The Wine Society held its spring tasting last week showing 60 wines new to the list in 2013. The long-standing loyalty and affection from the UK wine press saw "94% attendance" and plenty of enthusiastic tweeting, encouraged along by PR manager and social media supremo, Ewan Murray.

The List: Enoteca Turi

Owner Guiseppe Turi tells Bernadette John why Italian wines triumph over all on the list at Puglia specialist Enoteca Turi

Round table: Vinho Verde uncovered

Harpers and Vinho Verde hosted a round table to assess the region's potential as a producer of food-friendly wines

It's all meat and drink to Hawksmoor

There has never been a better time to go out for a steak in London and you would struggle to find a place superior to Hawksmoor. Dominic Midgley discovers the chain is as proud of its drinks offer as it is its rib eyes and sirloins