Musings: Thoughtfully Abstracted : Meditative

MUSINGS: One’s thoughts or comments on something you have been thinking about carefully and for a long time…

A Six-Vintage Farewell to Anthony Barton

A Six-Vintage Farewell to Anthony Barton

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...

There’s Merit in the Mâconnais

There’s Merit in the Mâconnais

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...

Exploring Okanagan Valley: Where Wine is Fun and Fascinating

Exploring Okanagan Valley: Where Wine is Fun and Fascinating

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...

A Champagne Christmas in Vertus

A Champagne Christmas in Vertus

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...

Somms on California: Winning over the Sceptics

Somms on California: Winning over the Sceptics

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...

Urban Wineries

Urban Wineries

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...

Reaching the Eternal – an interview with Aubert de Villaine

Reaching the Eternal – an interview with Aubert de Villaine

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...

California Wine: It’s All a Dream

California Wine: It’s All a Dream

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...

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

The topic of Wine is filled with a mythology built on rules and intimidations, leaving us feeling insecure. Yet nothing breaks down barriers and brings us together as we take notice of the relationships built and conversations held over a glass of wine.

Our Books

‘Peter has shot like a comet through the wine-skies over the past 50 years. People all over the world of wine have looked up suddenly to see this mysterious light, brighter than any satellite, whizzing by…’ ~Hugh Johnson.