Simon Judge
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Drink Everyday Wines Now or Save for Later? Everyday Wines That Can Age
Most wine on the shelf today isn’t made to last. It’s made to taste bright, juicy and ready the moment you get it home. Whites in particular are rarely designed for cellaring. If you’ve bought a simple Pinot Grigio, an unoaked Chardonnay, a typical supermarket Sauvignon Blanc or a fresh rosé, the safest plan is to drink it within months rather than years. Don’t tuck it away for a special occasion. The wine won’t thank you. The fruit will fade, the zest will soften and you’ll be left wondering what all the fuss was about. That said, some ‘everyday’ styles…
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Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône White
Les Dauphins is a range that draws inspiration from the vibrant energy of the 1920s, evoking an era when Paris pulsed with culture and creativity. This was also the time when co-operatives began to take root and the wines from the Dauphiné corner of the Rhône Valley found favour among the capital’s bistro-goers. The wine is made by the Unions des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône, a collective with over six decades behind it. This 2024 vintage blends 50% Grenache Blanc, 40% Viognier and 10% Marsanne, sourced from vineyards around the village of Tulette in south-eastern France. While the area…
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French Cyclist Survives Ravine Fall by Drinking Wine
A 77-year-old French cyclist survived for three days at the bottom of a 40-metre ravine after crashing on his way home from a shopping trip, relying on wine to stay alive. The man, who was returning to Saint-Julien-des-Points from La Grand-Combe in southern France, missed a turn on the N106 and plunged into a ravine in the Cévennes region. Despite the fall, he sustained only minor injuries and mild hypothermia. With no way of climbing out and no one responding to his calls for help, he survived using the groceries he had with him, including a few bottles of wine…
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Sibarita in Vigo, Spain
In late October 2025, my wife and I found ourselves in Vigo, Spain, looking for a glass of Albariño to pass the time while we waited for the rain to ease. A quick online search led us to Sibarita, a wine and tapas bar situated just above the city’s main square. The name “Sibarita” is fitting. It’s a Spanish word for someone who relishes the finer things in life and this little spot certainly lives up to it. Sibarita is run by the affable and knowledgeable Gus García, who brings a unique energy to the place, being a DJ by…
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Ca’ Bolani Sauvignon Blanc
The 2024 Ca’ Bolani Sauvignon Blanc is the sister wine to the previously reviewed Ca’ Bolani Merlot. Grown in the Friuli DOC Aquileia appellation, in the northeastern corner of Italy, it comes from the Zonin family’s extensive collection of estates. Acquired by Zonin in 1970, this was their first venture beyond the Veneto region. With around 600 hectares of vines, the estate ranks among the largest vineyard holdings in northern Italy. This is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc at 13% ABV. It’s worth giving it at least half an hour to warm from fridge temperature to appreciate everything it offers. Intensely…
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The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2026
The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2026 is the latest edition of an annual reference for anyone with even a passing interest in Italian wine. Curated by Daniele Cernilli, the renowned Italian wine critic better known as “DoctorWine”, the guide continues to cement its place as a leading authority in the world of wine. Cernilli, a co-founder of Gambero Rosso and long-time editor of its Vini d’Italia guide, brings decades of insight and credibility to this project, which he launched independently in 2015. Running to 640 pages, this English-language edition provides detailed profiles of 1,349 wineries and reviews of 3,428…
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Tasting for The Essential Guide to Italian Wine
In October 2025, in London, wine professionals and enthusiasts gathered for a tasting event to celebrate the The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2026. The event was led by Daniele Cernilli, better known as Doctor Wine, one of Italy’s foremost wine experts. A celebrated journalist, author and educator, Cernilli is also the co-founder of Gambero Rosso and was editor of its renowned annual wine guide for many years. In 2011, he launched the Doctor Wine online magazine, through which he continues to share his deep and comprehensive knowledge of Italian wine. The tasting coincided with the launch of the 2026…
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WineGB Golden 50 Wine List for 2025
WineGB has released its Golden 50 Wine List for 2025, celebrating the top UK wines that achieved gold medals in ten national and international competitions. The initiative, now in its second year, was launched in partnership with the Vineyard & Winery Show. The list showcases 50 award-winning wines, 34 sparkling and 16 still, from across England and Wales, reflecting a particularly strong year for British wine. Notably, 2025 saw the first wine to achieve 99 points at the WineGB Awards and an English wine winning the prestigious International Wine Challenge Champion Sparkling Trophy. The wines were selected from 105 gold…
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Smallest Vintage in Germany Since 2010
Germany is set to record its smallest wine vintage since 2010, with the nationwide grape must harvest estimated at just 7.3 million hectolitres. This marks a 7% decline compared to last year and a 16% drop against the 10-year average of 8.7 million hectolitres. The sharp reduction is largely due to poor yields in the major wine-producing regions of Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Baden and Württemberg, where factors such as smaller grape berries, low must yields and heavy rainfall in mid-September led to significant losses. Rheinhessen alone saw a 23% drop from the 10-year average, while similar declines were reported in Pfalz,…
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Typicity Tool
When tasting many wines during large wine tastings, I often find my brain eventually becomes a bit numb trying to pinpoint what different things actually taste like. I’m also aware that I need to broaden my wine vocabulary and include a wider range of descriptive terms. With that in mind, I felt I needed a tool to help me better understand wine typicity and what a wine should taste like. I had a look around but couldn’t find anything that really did what I wanted, so I ended up creating one myself. It gives me a starting point when my…
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Laurent Delaunay Les Grappillages Chablis
Laurent Delaunay, a well-known Burgundian winemaker, brings a touch of contemporary charm to tradition with this Les Grappillages Chablis. This wine blends classic regional winemaking with modern elegance, the label adorned in a chic Toile de Jouy print more often seen in the world of high fashion than on supermarket shelves. Made entirely from Chardonnay, the grapes are grown in the cool and undulating terrain of the Yonne Valley. These vineyards rest on ancient Kimmeridgian limestone, the same prized soil that has long defined the character of Chablis. The name Les Grappillages is a reference to an old custom, the…
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Morrisons Autumn Winter Press Tasting
My final supermarket press tasting of the Autumn/Winter season took place with Morrisons. Held in mid-October 2025, the event was hosted at the usual London venue, where a pianist played gentle background music, lending a touch of elegance as we tasted our way through the selection. Among the highlights were some wines from the upcoming wave of Morrisons’ Wine Block Series, two of which I’ve singled out below. This limited-edition, numbered collection sits within the retailer’s The Best range and focuses on wines made from distinctive single vineyard ‘blocks’ or particularly expressive sites across the globe. The aim is to…
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25% Off Wine at Asda
Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 16 October 2025 until 2 November 2025. See the latest press tasting for tips on what to buy.
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Co-op Autumn Winter Press Tasting
In mid-October 2025, I went to the Co-op Press Wine Tasting in London. This year’s event was held at a new, upmarket venue for the Co-op tastings. A total of 71 wines were on show, with over 50 new additions having made their debut this year. The Co-op has placed a strong focus on refreshing its red wine offering, responding to increasing demand for unoaked, less tannic and fresher styles. Alongside these lighter options, there were also some new, more robust reds on display, including a selection of Malbec and Rioja that cater to those seeking bolder flavours. One of…
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Asda Autumn Winter Press Tasting
Asda’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting took place in mid-October in London. As ever, the supermarket’s core focus remains firmly on delivering great value across its range. This commitment was clearly underlined in the tasting booklet, which acknowledged how increasingly difficult that goal has become in light of ongoing market challenges and record levels of taxation affecting the drinks industry. Despite these hurdles, Asda has continued to impress on the awards front, winning more Great Value awards at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) than any other UK retailer. Among the accolades was the coveted Great Value Red Wine Trophy, awarded to…
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25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has 25% off wine for Nectar loyalty card holders, sparkling and Champagne, 6 bottles or more, £6 or more (£7 in Wales), from 15 October to 28 October 2025. See the recent Sainsbury’s press tasting for tips on what to buy.
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25% Off Wine at Tesco
Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales), from 15 October 2025 until 20 October 2025. See the recent Tesco tasting for tips on what to buy.
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Ca’ Bolani Merlot
This 100% Merlot comes from the largest wine estate in Northern Italy, rooted in a landscape where vines have flourished since Roman times. Situated in the Friuli DOC Aquileia appellation in the northeastern corner of the country, it forms part of the Zonin family’s extensive portfolio of estates. Over the past twenty years, the estate has embraced a sustainable philosophy, introducing green manuring, using low-impact pesticides, supporting pollinator populations and maintaining untouched green areas to encourage the return of native wildlife. The 2023 vintage spent time maturing in oak barrels, following in the footsteps of earlier releases that have earned…
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Wine Neck Capsules or No Capsules?
A recent study commissioned by the Crealis Group explored the impact of wine capsules, the foil over the top of wine bottles, on consumer perception and purchase decisions. Traditionally viewed as a purely functional component, the capsule’s potential marketing influence had been largely overlooked. Conducted by SenseCatch, the research used a mix of biometric tracking and qualitative interviews to evaluate how capsules affect perceived value, visual appeal, and purchasing choices among thirty regular wine consumers aged between 25 and 50. Participants were observed in a simulated wine aisle and asked to choose between bottles of red and sparkling wines, both…
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Tesco Autumn Winter Press Tasting
The Tesco press tasting took place in the middle of an exceptionally busy three-week tasting period in October 2025. A total of 152 wines were available to taste, including 58 new additions. Over the course of the year, Tesco has launched 108 new wines, highlighting its commitment to continual development rather than standing still. Some of these wines have already featured in an earlier tasting. Tesco is particularly proud of its recent accolades. The retailer secured an impressive 190 medals across the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), including six Gold medals. The Tesco…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More
Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More
People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More
In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More
UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More
For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More
Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More
A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More
Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More
In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More
In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More
In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More
Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More
Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More
In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More
Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More
8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More
Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More
Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More
Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More
Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More
During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More
In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More
In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More
In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More
In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More
In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More
In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More
Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More
In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More
In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More
In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More
The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More
Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More
Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More
In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More
The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More
90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More
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