Simon
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Tips for Waitrose
Jancis Robinson has useful ‘Bargains at Waitrose‘ blog post that mentions some of the more affordable, great wines available from Waitrose: WhitesA A Badenhorst, The Curator 2022 Coastal Region 13%, South Africa £8.99Morandé, Terrarum Patrimonial Semillón 2022 Maule 12.5% Chile £9.99Markus Huber Grüner Veltliner 2022 Traisental 12.5%, Austria £10.99Zacharias Assyrtiko 2022 Peloponnese 14% Greece £11.99…
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‘Back to Basics’ – Cheese and wine pairing
Online ‘Back to Basics’ – a Cheese and wine pairing event free for Wine Society members. Nick Bayne from The Fine Cheese Company will join the Wine Society’s Tastings Team for an evening exploring wine and cheese pairings. Nick will introduce a selection of four English cheeses, each to be paired with one of our…
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Vivino Changes UK Strategy
Vivino, the well-known wine scoring and recommendations app, is altering its ecommerce approach in the UK. Having grown from 27 million global users in 2018 to 65 million today, with 3 million of those in the UK, Vivino has decided to stop its direct wine sales in the UK. Instead, the company will rely on…
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ASDA Extra Special Soave Classico
This nutty, white wine is from Italy’s Veneto region. Soave is renowned for its delicate smoothness and freshness and it is made primarily with Garganega grapes forming a minimum of 70% of the blend. There are two Soave classifications – Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). The DOC…
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Romantic Serenade on London Train Leaves Passengers in Splits
London, August 13, 2023: A London Overground train was transformed into an impromptu stage as a man, dressed in a sharp blazer, shirt, and a smart cap, serenaded a fellow passenger. The scene was made even more surreal as George Michael’s hit “Careless Whisperer” played in the background, turning the usually mundane journey into a…
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Discover Greek Wine
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Discover Greek Wine’ event at Cellar Magnifique in Woking. The event was hosted by Sam Kemp, wine events manager and English winemaker, who is knowledgeable and deeply passionate about wine. We were introduced to five wines, comprising three whites and two reds. It was interesting to…
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Wines of Vesevo & Fantini Tasting – Campania & Puglia, Italy
The Vesevo & Fantini wine tasting events at Morrish & Banham (M&B) will showcase Italian wines created by Valentine Sciotto. The events will be hosted at M&B’s Dorchester and Bridport locations on 28th and 29th September 2023. The evenings will include an aperitif, canapés and a guided tasting of six wines. Tickets are £25 and…
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Chardonnay-Infused Crackers
A new limited edition cracker has been introduced, perfect for wine and cheese pairings. These crackers, named Club® x Butter Chardonnay Minis, are a collaboration between Club® Crackers and JaM Cellars. The crackers are infused with Butter Chardonnay produced by JaM Cellars, offering a rich and buttery taste. Carrie Foose, the director of brand marketing…
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Taking Others’ Unfinished Wine Glasses
A server recently gained online attention after sharing a humorous post on TikTok, highlighting a customer’s audacious act of taking unfinished glasses of wine from another diner’s table. The video, created by TikToker Stephanie Carlisle, depicts her playing both the customer and the server. As the customer, she spots an unfinished wine glass on a…
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Ice in Wine Controversy
The Drinks Business reported on a contentious comment on a receipt from The Cornish Arms in Brunswick, Victoria, which has reignited the age-old debate about adding ice to wine. The comment, which likened the customer to a ‘bogan’ (akin to the UK’s ‘chav’ or America’s ‘hillbilly’), sparked a heated discussion on social media platforms like…
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European Union’s New Wine Regulations
The European Union’s regulatory changes, under Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, are set to take effect on December 8th, 2023. These changes are bound to also affect the labels of wines in the UK that are sold both domestically and within the EU. The EU regulations necessitate that wines sold in the European market declare comprehensive information…
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Supermarket Comparison Sites
Supermarket comparison websites can be handy when shopping for wines. I use them in two ways. The first is for branded wine, where it’s possible to find the current lowest price, and with some platforms, the fluctuation in price over time. The second way is to use them to discover all wines of a certain…
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Hydrometer
I sometimes use a hydrometer to measure the sweetness of wines (at home!), particularly when I am unsure of the sweetness. While it’s usually easy to assess whites, reds can sometimes be deceiving. A hydrometer measures the specific gravity (SG) of a liquid, which is a measure of its density relative to water. In winemaking,…
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Dr L Riesling
Originating from the Mosel region of Germany, this fruity Riesling has a refreshingly crisp flavour despite its low alcohol content of 8.5%. The honey-like sweetness is balanced by the acidity that together provide a lengthy finish. This medium-to-sweet wine ranks amongst the top 25 German Rieslings in the UK on Vivino, with an impressive score…
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Discover Greek Wine
On 16th August 2023 at 7pm, Cellar Magnifique in Woking is hosting a wine discovery event. This month’s focus is on Greek wines, guided by the Events Manager and winemaker, Sam. The wines will be paired with authentic Greek food from the local restaurant, Elia. I’ll be reporting back on this event.
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Finish
The wine finish refers to the taste that lingers after tasting a wine. Finish is an important aspect that reveals the depth, complexity and quality of a wine. The finish can vary greatly, being short or long, simple or complex and smooth or harsh. Factors such as the type of grape, the terroir, winemaking techniques,…
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The Truth About ‘Contains Sulphites’ on a Bottle of Wine
If you’ve ever looked closely at the label of a wine bottle, you might have noticed the words ‘contains sulphites.’ What does this mean and should it concern you? Since 2005, it has been a requirement by law to declare sulphites if the present level is 10 mg/l or higher. This isn’t something new to…
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Best Supermarket Prosecco of 2023
A recent article in the Evening Standard highlights the Best supermarket Prosecco of 2023. According to the Prosecco DOC Consortium, the UK imported 130 million bottles in 2022, reflecting a 3.5% increase from the 2021 volume. However, the Evening Standard’s article contains an inaccuracy, stating that Prosecco is made in the same way as Champagne,…
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Rosé Wine Tasting
This was a wine tasting with family and a few friends, accompanied by the online ‘Everything’s Coming Up Rosé – Rosé’ workshop hosted by The Wine Society. The wines in the online tasting were The Society’s Saumur Rosé Brut NV, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé, Château Vignelaure 2022, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Contesa 2022 and Rosé d’Anjou…
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Decanter’s London Fine Wine Encounter 2023
Priority booking is open for Decanter’s members’ only London Fine Wine Encounter 2023, set for Saturday, 11th November at The Landmark London. The Landmark London will provide an ideal setting for respected wineries to showcase their offerings. Attendees will be immersed in an all-day Grand Tasting event where they can sample over 1,000 exquisite wines…
