What to say of Anthony Barton, the late patriarch of Châteaux Langoa Barton and Léoville Barton, that hasn’t already been said, especially since his death last month at the age of 91? Not much is the answer. However, being lost for words, in this case, is not a...

When contemplating burgundy, most consider the Côte d’Or paramount, expressive of the very best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines globally. Few can doubt the quality and longevity of this area, literally translated as ‘the golden slope’, providing a varied terroir that...

Canada’s ‘Okanagan is indeed on the up’, concluded Steven Spurrier after presiding over a series of comparative tastings in 2019. As always, a measured and accurate observation. Despite the many recent challenges brought about by pandemics, wildfires and climate...

There is something about sipping really good champagne at Christmas. You can open the bottle with a bang and even let the cork carom off the ceiling, but once your fluted glass is full, make sure you take a good look inside. You won’t see oversized bubbles exploding...

When, in 1976, Steven Spurrier invited a panel of high-profile professionals to gather in Paris and blind taste a range of Californian wines alongside their French counterparts, he proved to the world that California played in the same league as the world’s finest...

‘For anyone who is doubtful about climate change, just spend some time in a wine grape vineyard,’ states a winemaker in Mendocino County, California. ‘Because of the increasing temperatures, the grapes are ripening two to three weeks earlier than they did 20 years...

Urban wineries are a growing trend. The earliest were started up in the United States, particularly in California, about 20 years ago, but are now to be found all over the country, and the concept has spread, to Europe, Hong Kong and Australia. London now has four...

What three words would you choose to describe the wine of Romanée-Conti? If you’ve never had the opportunity to taste this iconic wine, expressions of chagrin such as ‘far too expensive’ or ‘not my league’ might come to mind. When I posed this question to Aubert de...

A 50th Anniversary is a big deal not only for couples and businesses but also for California wineries. Throughout 2022, neither fires nor earthquakes will prevent two dozen wineries from celebrating their 50th harvest. In 2023 and over the following years, dozens more...