About Matthew's World of Wine and Drink.

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.

Jun 10

Jun 10 A Tour Around Portugal's Wines

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

A whirlwind trip to Portugal on which I got to taste wine from 1965, 20-year-old madeira, a stunning 2012 Alvarinho, and much more from this small, diverse country.

May 28

May 28 Douro Valley

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

Douro Valley is the heartland of port, the great fortified wine. It’s spectacularly beautiful, with steep, rocky terraces covered in vines. Visiting the region was a long-held ambition of mine, and it did not disappoint.

May 17

May 17 Cork

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

The cork industry has suffered in the last twenty-five years due to the number of “corked” wines. On a recent trip to Portugal, I learnt how producers are working very hard to redeem the image of the industry.

May 24

May 24 Portugal's Many Indigenous Grape Varieties

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

Oct 30

Oct 30 Douro and Port

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

Portugal - and the Douro region in particular - is of course famous for port. Those wines are historic and world-class, but the Douro also produces an increasingly good amount of red and, more surprisingly, white wine.

Feb 18

Feb 18 Madeira

Matthew Gaughan

portugal

Madeira is one of the great wines of the world: fortified, cooked, and oxidised, it's an intense, ageworthy wine like no other. My visit to the Atlantic island gave me an insight into why these wines are so astonishing.