London Wine Fair 2022
I was fortunate enough to attend LWF in June this year – it was great to see it back as a live event. Unfortunately there seemed to be fewer country stands than in previous years; however there were plenty of interesting people to speak to, and a lot of great presentations including Valpolicella, vermouth, Central…
PDO for Sussex Sparkling Wine (and Kent’s sour grapes)
Sussex Sparkling Wine has been granted official Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which is the equivalent of Appellation Controlee in France or DOC in Italy. A PDO, once granted, identifies products that are produced, processed and prepared in a specific geographical area, using the recognised expertise of local producers and ingredients from the region…
WSET Level 3 Exam Tips
Tasting If you believe a wine is simple make sure you write the word “simple” in both the nose and palate sections, it’s worth a mark Ensure you comment on all aspects of palate – sweetness, acidity, alcohol, body, finish and flavour characteristics; create a mnemonic to ensure you remember them all SAABFF so you…
de Bortoli VAT 5 Botrytis Semillon 2017 – Wine of the Month January 2022
It’s amazing how often people say they are not keen on sweet wines yet whenever I include one in a tasting it generally gets well received. This wine was a favourite at a recent tasting and shows you don’t have to pay Sauternes prices to get a good one. A tasting note with aromas of…
Russian Vodka
Ok so we don’t normally do politics, nor do we do spirits; however these are exceptional times. The Drinks Business recently posted an article on this subject, some of which is worth reproducing here. Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a movement to boycott Russian vodka in bars and shops has risen. The issues many…
Bordeaux: Up For Discussion
The wines for this tasting were provided by L’Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux. If you are ever in the city I recommend their courses, many of which are held in English. The wines tasted were as follows: Cuvee Clemence 2020 – aromas of lemon and pineapple with some oak on the palate, although less on…
Harper’s Top 50 Independent Wine Merchants
Congratulations to the following Sussex wine merchants who appeared in the Harper’s Top 50 Indies, together with the judges’ comments: THE BUTLERS WINE CELLAR This two-store merchant is as independently minded as they come. The Butlers team buy what they like, when they like, currently with a strong focus on Portugal and California, and sell…
Oatley Leonora’s 2020 – Wine of the Month July 2021
This vineyard was a new one for me, and a new grape variety, discovered on a recent trip to Somerset. I agree with their description of the wine: Crisp, fresh, elegant, balanced. Aromatic and fruity. English rose-garden scent, dry Riesling style. Great with seafood, salads and spicy dishes. 100% Kernling grape. Kernling is a Riesling crossing…
Wines from Spain Annual Tasting 2021
This was the first in-person tasting I attended after lockdown restrictions were eased and Wines of Spain did a great job. The format was very different from previous years with no walk round, so unfortunately there was no opportunity to chat with growers and importers. We sat at a table with four tasting glasses and…
English Wine Week – good to see English wine doing so well
According to Harpers sales of English and Welsh wines increased by around 30% in 2020 over the previous year, according to the latest industry figures released by Wine GB. Sales in the past year had not only been boosted by the increasing thirst among Brits for home-grown wines, but also by a “boom” in wine…