Simon Judge
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Champagne Industry 2023 Retrospective
Recent data has highlighted a notable shift in the Champagne market for the year 2023. Following three years of exceptional performance, Champagne shipments have reverted to pre-pandemic levels, with a total of 299 million bottles shipped, marking an 8.2% decrease from the previous year. The industry witnessed a significant slump in 2020 with an 18%…
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Extra Special Uco Valley Malbec
This Argentinian Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, a 2020 vintage produced by Bodega Norton, Argentina, was awarded a Bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023. The wine has aromatic scents of violets and liquorice on the nose and displays a typical Malbec purple hue. Its French oak ageing and 14.5% alcohol…
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Greasy Fingers Luscious Red
The 2022 vintage of the new Greasy Fingers range from Pernod Ricard UK is a new addition to a portfolio that includes familiar names such as Campo Viejo, Brancott Estate and Stoneleigh. This wine is shy about its origins and the offering is more about branding – the country, Australia, is written very small on…
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Charmat Method
The Charmat method, also known as the tank method or cuve close, is a sparkling wine production technique used to create effervescent wines like Prosecco. This method takes its name from its inventor, Eugène Charmat, a French winemaker who developed the process in the early 20th century. In the Charmat method, a still base wine…
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Worn Wall Wine
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AI-Assisted Wine Discovery
Last year, the BBC highlighted the growing trend of AI-powered wine recommendation apps, such as FinpåVin, which are changing the way people select their next bottle of wine. However, Sippd, a notable application in this field, has recently shut down, raising doubts about the necessity of such technology for simplifying the process of choosing wine….
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Vines in a Cold Climate
‘Vines in a Cold Climate’ by Henry Jeffreys is an exploration into the world of viticulture in the United Kingdom. Cleverly titled as a nod to Nancy Mitford’s “Love in a Cold Climate,” the book looks into the complexities and nuances of establishing a successful vineyard in a climate traditionally considered unsuitable for wine production….
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Canyon Springs Old Vine Zinfandel
The Canyon Springs Old Vine Zinfandel 2020 is bottled and cellared by the rather elusive Eagle Rock Vineyards, as I couldn’t find much about them online. However, with a commendable 3.9 score on Vivino, it’s clear this wine is popular among tasters. At first, the wine greets you with an inviting bouquet of red berries….
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Pét-Nat
Pétillant Naturel, commonly known as Pét-Nat, is a unique style of sparkling wine. The term translates from French to “naturally sparkling,” and this wine is notable for its ancient method of production. The Pét-Nat method, also referred to as Méthode Ancestrale, dates back to the early 16th century in Limoux, South France, originally used by…
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La Toile Vierge
La Toile Vierge, a French wine, comes in both red and white varieties. Despite being classified under the seemingly modest Vin de France appellation, these wines transcend their classification, proving that sometimes, greater freedom for the winemaker can yield better results. The red variant is based on Grenache and is medium bodied. It is highly…
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Wine and Eggs Diet Ineffective
The ‘wine and eggs’ diet has recently been highlighted as the most ineffective diet in a survey of 2,000 British dieters. This diet, which made a comeback on social media after originally appearing in Vogue magazine, suggests a daily intake of three to five eggs and a bottle of wine. It scored a 50 percent…
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Le Zeitgeist Trident
Le Zeitgeist Trident 2022, created by winemaker Eric Lanxade, is a representation of the terroir found in the French Pyrenees. Rated 3.7 on Vivino, this wine benefits from the alluvial river plains that contribute to its minerally rich soils. These conditions, coupled with the cooling influence of the Pyrenees, create an ideal environment for the…
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Young Britons Lead the Surge in Low and No Alcohol Drinks
Harpers is reporting revealing insight into the changing habits of UK drinkers. The latest YouGov poll, conducted in partnership with the Portman Group, has highlighted a significant shift towards low and no alcohol beverages, particularly among the younger generation. The survey, now in its sixth year, shows that nearly half of the 18-24 age group,…
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Turning Winery Wastes into Wealth
There’s new, interesting research from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, into the waste products, wine residues, from creating wine and how they can can be re-used to provide for more sustainable production. Wine residues are a complex mix of grape stalks, pomace (the solid remains of grape pressing), lees and wastewater. They are not just…
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Very Red
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Virgin Wines London Wine Tasting
Virgin Wines is set to host a wine tasting event in London on Saturday, 5th October 2024. The event is scheduled from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm at Lindley Hall, located on Elverton Street in London, SW1P 2QW. This event will be featuring an exclusive range of hand-crafted, boutique wines. In addition to these unique…
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Sparkling Wines From Three Continents
The 2023 holiday season gave me the opportunity to try a few affordable Champagne and sparkling wines from three different continents: Les Pionniers Non Vintage Champagne Les Pionniers Non Vintage Champagne is a great example of how quality and affordability can come together. Despite the Co-op’s discretion about its origins, it’s an open secret that…
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Redefining Wine Marketing
Lulie Halstead, a prominent figure in the wine business, recently addressed the New Zealand Winegrowers Business Forum, sharing valuable insights from her 25-year experience in the industry. She highlighted a common mistake in wine marketing: the tendency of marketers to project their own preferences onto consumers, leading to a misalignment between what is offered and…
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Rioja Tasting
In the midst of a December devoid of trade wine tastings, I found myself inspired to organise a Rioja wine tasting. Consisting of seven family members and friends, all of whom share my enthusiasm for wine, we embarked on a journey through the flavours of Rioja. Accompanied by an array of tasty Spanish tapas, our…
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Italy Launches Campaign to Educate Britons on Prosecco Label
Italy has initiated a campaign to educate Britons on the correct use of the term ‘Prosecco’. The Italian DOC Consortium launched an advertising campaign in London emphasising that Prosecco is a geographically protected label, reserved for sparkling wines produced in specific Italian regions. The campaign, displayed in over 80 locations in London, aims to reach…
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