The colour of Red and Rosé wine comes from the skin of the grapes. When you crush a white grape, keep the grape juice, discard the skins and allow the alcoholic fermentation to take place, you end up with a white wine.
 
If you crush red grapes and discard the skins, the juice is also clear [...]

Did you know there are eight red grape varieties that are permitted for inclusion in a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape? Did you also know that Chateauneuf du Pape literally means “Pope’s new castle”? In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent [...]

My very first ever job was as Buyer of Italian Wines for Victoria Wine/Grants of St. James’s back in the 80s and I have retained many good friends from those years. Italy will always retain a very special place in my oenophile heart but there is such a confusing array of regions, names and most bewilderingly [...]

I’m not saying there aren’t any good English still wines, it’s just that I’ve yet to taste one that presses my button! However, if we’re talking Fizz, then it’s a whole different story. And ifyou think about it, it’s quite logical.
Sparkling wines require a higher level of acidity (Don’t ask me why, I’m not a Chemist) [...]

I went to Vinisud with, amongst other things, the aim of getting to the bottom of sulphur allergy in wine. Several friends, customers, family members have complained of this, so I went to find out.
My destination was Christophe Bousquet at Ch. Pech Redon because his ’Les Cades’ Cuvee which we ship is produced from organically grown grapes [...]

Simon Woods is a wine writer I’ve known for more years than I care to remember. He has a very good website and his latest subject is the UK’s leading wine brands. He spent three weeks tasting the lot and you can see his “journey” (as everyone calls everything these days) on the link.
The bit that [...]

Other really interesting stuff about how you can improve the quality of your Champagne came to light during my visit to Marc Chauvet Champagne recently. Clotilde is at pains to stress the extra time her Champagnes are aged on the lees (dead yeast) before release. By law the wine must age with the yeast for [...]

I was in Champagne last week visiting Marc Chauvet and needed to get to the bottom of that often asked question about the size of bubbles. The “prise de mousse” as they call it comes during the secondary fermentation in bottle when extra yeast and Champagne grape juice are added to the already finished, first-fermented [...]

After years of being on a stand being nice to prospective trade buyers it’s great to be able to visit this excellent Fair in this excellent venue (Excel) with little to do but refresh old acquaintances and see a couple of specific suppliers.
First call was Verus who are here to try and develop more UK [...]

On Saturday we were in Bruges (a Christmas present from our sons) and as we had not paid for the Eurostar or hotel we treated ourselves to a decent meal. Not a cheap experience, by the way.  Being by nature not one who likes to be ripped off on the wines in restaurants I’m always looking [...]