This blog began as a record of taking the WSET Diploma, during which I studied and explored wines and spirits made all around the world. Having passed the Diploma and become a WSET Certified Educator, the blog has become much more: a continual outlet for my passion for the culture of wine, spirits, and beer.
I aim to educate in an informal, enlightening, and engaging manner. As well as maintaining this blog to track my latest enthusiasms, I provide educational tastings for restaurants and for private groups. Details can be found on the website, and collaborations are welcome.
Wine is my primary interest and area of expertise and this blog aims to immerse the reader in the history of wine, to understand why wine tastes like it does, and to explore all the latest news. At the same time, beer and spirits will never be ignored.
For the drinker, whether casual or professional, today is a good time to be alive.
Rioja is famous for its oak-aged wines, but there is not one universal approach. There’s American oak, French oak, small barrels, large barrels, new oak, used oak, aged for different periods of time, and sometimes used in conjunction with stainless steel, concrete, or cement. How a producer uses oak defines their house style, and highlights the diversity of the wines of Rioja.
Rioja is best known for Tempranillo, which makes up 80% of plantings, but there are lots of other exciting black grapes planted across the region: Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano, and Maturana Tinta. Tasting single-varietal examples emphasises the diversity of wines being made in Rioja.
Rioja is the most famous wine region in Spain, yet its regional differences are not fully understood. It covers multiple provinces and there are many local variants in the growing conditions: rivers, valleys, elevation. But it’s been difficult to explain properly the regional differences within Rioja: that’s slowly changing.
Rioja is best known for its red wines, but until 1975 the majority of wine made in the region was white. There’s a small revival in white wine across the region in a range of styles: young and fresh to aged and oxidative. Viura is the main white grape, but there’s also the historic Maturana Blanca and the recently discovered mutation, Tempranillo Blanco. A lot of exciting wine to explore!
Many white wines have a tannic texture and structure that almost never gets talked about. Even a brief period of skin contact gives a light tannic mouthfeel. So why don’t we ever talk about them?
Wine publications are dominated by tasting notes that either use generic or overblown language without conveying the essence of the wine. What purpose do these thousands of tasting notes serve? Do they benefit the consumer, the publication, or the producer? Or would we all be better off without them?
Catalan sparkling wine continues to confuse, and the issue isn’t helped by writers and retailers referring to wines as Cava when the producers have left the designation. Let’s call the producers by the names they have chosen to use!
A trip to Touraine in the Loire Valley showed the wonderful range of wines made there: from Chenin Blanc to Cabernet Franc to Sauvignon Blanc to Gamay to Malbec, dry, off-dry, sweet, and sparkling, rosé too. Despite the long history of winemaking in the Loire, the region has seen a lot of changes in the last few decades. Here’s a spotlight on some of the major Touraine appellations and producers to try.
Hella Chenin—a first-time event celebrating Chenin Blanc from California and South Africa. A chance to compare and contrast, to appreciate the variety from different regions, and to understand that Chenin is not just the Loire.
Aligoté has had a bad reputation: it has high yields and produces wines with searingly high acidity. However, some producers in Burgundy are taking it much more seriously. If yields are contained, then the high acid is well-suited to warmer growing conditions. There are some very good wines being made, and Aligoté is becoming increasingly interesting.
The equivalent of appellation rules outside of Europe are usually much looser. This allows much greater liberty for producers but less information for consumers and a potential unclear identity for regions. It also means greater potential for experimentation for producers. How appellation systems have developed outside Europe gives an insight into the pros and cons of how wine regulations work.
When producers leave appellations, it can create a lot of confusion which can sometimes be easier to ignore than address. Why do producers leave appellations and why do appellations matter? And should wine exams feature producers who have left the appellation?
Appellations are a frustrating necessity: they give identity to regions and attempt to create a consistent quality and style. At the same time, producers constantly complain about the rules and regulations which they find confining and sometimes they leave the appellation completely to go their own way. So why are appellations so important?
Not so long ago, English wine was a niche topic; now it’s one of the most exciting trends in the wine industry. Henry Jeffreys has written a book, Vines in a Cold Climate, detailing the revolution in English wine from nothing to defined styles of wine. Essential reading for anyone interested in what’s happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen in England.
The last twenty years has seen a radical shift in the quality of German sparkling wine (called Sekt), with the best producers either focusing almost solely on bubbles or making high-quality alternatives to their still wines. Tasting through nearly fifty Sekt wines in Germany showed the range of styles and levels of quality now being made.
When attending a tasting event featuring nearly 200 German producers, you might expect a lot of Riesling—but instead I explored lesser-known sides to German wine: grape varieties such as Weißburgunder, Spätburgunder, Silvaner, Lemberger, and Chardonnay, and regions such as Sachsen, Saale-Unstrut, Württemberg, Ahr, and Franken. Here’s an overview of the different sides of Germany beyond Riesling.
An overview of Montagne de Reims, a region to the north of Champagne which is most famous for its Grand Cru Pinot Noir, but there’s also Chardonnay and Meunier planted, and styles vary according to the village and to the producer. A facsinating example of how terroir is more important to Champagne than is sometimes discussed.
25% of plantings in New York are hybrids. Many producers and commentators don’t think it’s possible to make quality wine from hybrids, but New Yorkers disagree. I tasted 21 white wines from hybrids to find out…
Nolo wines—with no or low alcohol—have been a talking point for a while as consumers are increasingly health- and socially-conscious. However, quality has been low, as alcohol is a key component in the structure and taste of wine. But there is some good Nolo wines being made, if you know where to look. Here’s a brief overview.
Santa Barbara is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but perhaps the best wines are from Rhône/Mediterranean varieties such as Grenache and Syrah. There’s an eclectic mix of plantings which broadens our understanding of the young, evolving region.
