Tim Atkin MW: A year that changed wine

‘Never A Dull Moment’ is the title of a wonderful book about what its author, David Hepworth, calls “rock’s golden year”. 1971 was indeed an annus mirabilis for music, witnessing the release of landmark albums by David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Yes, The Who and Rod Stewart. For Hepworth, 31 December 1970 marked the end of the Sixties – 12 months late, in one sense – and the start of something very different. It was a turning pint, a line in the sand.

Tim Atkin MW: Spare a thought for the wine tasters that get it right

TIM ATKIN MW

Tim Atkin MW: Sherry deserves applause

TIM ATKIN MW

Tim Atkin MW: Beyond the cellar door

The pencil was as sharp as a tack. The tasting sheets were beautifully designed, with just the right amount of information: geeky, yet precise, containing useful details about vineyards and vinification techniques, but no vapid tasting notes. The water bottle was freshly cooled, the glasses polished and well chosen, the wines at exactly the right temperature. Every tasting should be like this, I found myself thinking, settling into a comfortable chair.

Tim Atkin MW: Fanfare for a Chablis titan

TIM ATKIN MW: Wine critic, broadcaster, co-chair of the IWC

Atkin warns South Africa cannot continue to be the world’s wine "bargain basement"

Cape promise

Tim Atkin MW distils three decades worth of South African knowledge into his ten top trends

Tim Atkin MW: Celebrating Chenin

TIM ATKIN MW

The week that was

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, here’s a review of the top online news, analysis, opinion and features.

Tim Atkin MW: Wine is never a one man band

Tim Atkin MW: What it takes to be the best

TIM ATKIN, WINE CRITIC, BROADCASTER, CO-CHAIR OF THE IWC

Tim Atkin MW: The cost of the dream

Is marriage a matter of the head or the heart? Driving back from my godson’s wedding in Nottingham recently, I heard an interview with Baroness Fiona Shackleton, Britain’s leading divorce lawyer, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, about this very conundrum.

Tim Atkin MW: State of the Union Jack

What does the Union Jack symbolise to you? Pride? Shame? Sovereignty? Populism? Peace? Colonialism? All are possible responses and have been almost since the flag was designed in 1800 to reflect the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland. As Tim Marshall writes in his recent book, Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags, “its beauty or otherwise is in the eye, imagination and politics of the beholder”.

Tim Atkin MW: Day Zero looms for South Africa

“Day Zero” sounds like the title of a dystopian disaster movie, starring Matt Damon or an ageing Bruce Willis perhaps. But what’s happening in South Africa right now has nothing to do with fantasy or fiction. On the contrary, it’s all too real. If you’ve not been reading the news from Cape Town recently, the city is about to run out of water. On January 18, the city’s mayor, Patricia de Lille, said that the “point of no return” had been reached and that, if things continue as they are with little or no rainfall, by April 12 (Day Zero), the taps will be turned off.

Tim Atkin MW: Taking the temperature of Chile

The samples didn’t look very special, to be honest. Bottled in the sort of thing they ask you to fill in doctor’s surgeries, they’d arrived by plane from the south that morning courtesy of Fernando Almeda of Miguel Torres Chile. The reality was considerably more exciting than the makeshift package, however. I was about to taste the first releases from the world’s most southerly vineyard.

Tim Atkin MW: Wine's luxury lustre

Serendipity is part of the pleasure of owning a wine cellar. Unless you’re the kind of person who keeps a log of every bottle that’s down there – I’m as organised as the next Virgo, but there are limits – these chance discoveries are wonderful. Well, most of the time. For every bottle of oxidised Condrieu or dried-out claret, there are dozens that are exciting to unearth. I had a bottle of 2006 TMV Swartland Syrah recently, made by Chris and Andrea Mullineux before they set up their own now globally famous winery in South Africa, and it was a revelation.

Tim Atkin: Semillon - The Naked Grape

When I was younger, fitter and considerably trimmer than I am now, I took part (twice) in a wine trade version of The Full Monty for charity. The name of our group of buffed-up writers, sommeliers and importers was The Semillons (geddit?). So, when I received an invitation to an event called The Semillon Sessions recently, part of me hoped that a new group of amateur strippers would be strutting their moves on a stage somewhere.

The week that was

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

The Pinot Noir Alliance announces first session

Five producers from some of the world’s most famous Pinot Noir producing regions are teaming up to promote the variety worldwide.

Tim Atkin MW: Roll over leafroll

Tim Atkin MW, wine critic, broadcaster and co-chair of the IWC, talks about the the disease behind South Africa's beautiful autumn colours which is causing significant damage to the country's vines