Simon Judge
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European Wine Industry Unites to Combat Anti-Alcohol Movement
The VITÆVINO Declaration is a newly launched initiative by major European wine organisations to combat the growing anti-alcohol movement, which has negatively impacted wine sales and wine culture. The declaration, signed on 1 October 2023, aims to defend European wine culture by highlighting four key points: preserving wine heritage, its economic role in rural areas, advocating for moderate consumption as part of a balanced lifestyle and upholding the right to enjoy wine responsibly. This campaign comes at a critical moment as increasing health concerns, particularly following the World Health Organisation’s declaration that no alcohol consumption is safe, have led to…
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Chosen by Majestic ‘Greek White’
I stumbled upon this great wine by chance during an evening out at a local amateur dramatics production, set in Greece, where we were also served Greek food. This 2023 vintage is a custom blend made for Majestic by the Kintonis winery in the Peloponnese, predominantly featuring Malagousia, along with Roditis and Assyrtiko, resulting in a truly vibrant and aromatic experience. Aromatically, it is immediately inviting, offering floral notes of rose petals. As you taste, it bursts with delicate flavours of blossom, lemon, lime, and stone fruits such as peach and pear, making it a perfect match for Greek cuisine.…
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25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has 25% off wine, sparkling and Champagne, 6 bottles or more, £6 or more, from 18 October 2024 to 2 November 2024. See the Sainsbury’s tasting for tips on what to buy.
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Mayu Carménère Appassimento
After thoroughly enjoying the Mayu Pinot Noir at a recent press tasting, I was eager to try their Carménère. This 2020 vintage comes from the Elqui Valley, one of Chile’s most extreme wine regions, situated nearly 5,000 feet above sea level. With around 300 days of sunshine a year, this climate offers ideal conditions for producing bold, distinctive wines. Winemaker Giorgio Flessati, whose Italian heritage deeply influences his approach, has created the world’s first appassimento Carménère. This technique involves allowing 60% of the grapes to dry, concentrating the flavours and producing an intense, unique wine. The aroma of this wine…
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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 15 October 2024 until 1 November 2024. See the Autumn/Winter Press tasting for tips on what to buy.
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Monastrell Masterclass and Tasting
In October 2024, I attended a Monastrell Masterclass led by Patrick Schmitt MW, followed by a walk-around tasting. The event was sponsored by Monastrell Spain, so all the wines were Spanish, though the masterclass also referenced other countries for context. Monastrell is known as Mourvèdre in France and has lots of different names in other countries. I came in with limited knowledge of Spanish Monastrell, expecting most wines to be highly tannic, similar to many Ribera del Duero wines. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide range of styles, which contradicted my initial assumptions. The masterclass imparted lots…
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Insights into the UK Wine Market
Wine Australia has released an insightful report on the UK market, which remains Australia’s number one export market by volume. The report provides a detailed analysis of the current trends and challenges impacting wine consumption in the UK, such as economic shifts, inflation, changes in disposable income and evolving consumer behaviour. The UK economy has experienced volatility, including a recession in 2023 due to high inflation and interest rates. Although inflation has begun to ease, household disposable incomes remain low, negatively impacting consumer spending. As alcohol prices rose, wine consumption declined, with the volume of alcohol consumption in the UK…
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25% Off Wine at Tesco
Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are over £5.50 (£7 in Wales), from 14 October 2024 until 31 October 2024. See the Tesco tasting and Picks for tips on what to buy.
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Big London Christmas Wine Fest
The Big London Christmas Wine Fest is set to take place at Lindley Hall from Friday, 22nd November to Saturday, 23rd November 2024. Hosted by wine experts Oz, Olly, and Tim, the event features a wide selection of over 600 wines from around the world for attendees to taste. Visitors will have the chance to explore various wine styles including red, white, rosé, sparkling, sweet and fortified. In addition to the main walk-around tasting, the event includes three themed masterclasses for those keen to deepen their wine knowledge. There will also be special show offers from exhibitors, making it a…
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Asda Autumn Winter Wine Showcase
I attended Asda’s Autumn/Winter Wine Showcase which took place in October 2024. The event highlighted Asda’s impressive achievements, with 91% of their own label and private label wines having won awards this year, a total of 350 awards. Asda continues to focus on maintaining high quality by blending their wines at the source whenever possible. There is the upcoming rebranding of their premium products. Look out for the launch of ‘Exceptional by Asda,’ featuring a new rosette logo. The first wine release under this brand is the Exceptional Blanc de Noirs Champagne, with more wines to follow in the run-up…
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New Liberty Wines Off-Trade Wine Report
If you are reading this as someone who in the wine trade, Liberty Wines has its first Independent Off-Trade Wine Report, highlighting the strength of the independent retail sector, which lies in its diversity, specialisation and flexibility. However, tracking the indie market has been challenging due to a lack of data. To address this, they collaborated with HDI (Hospitality Data Insights) to monitor bank card spending at over 100 leading independent retailers in the UK. While the content of the report is confidential, a post on their Instagram feed revealed the report contains information on changes in consumer behaviour and…
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Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting
Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter 2024 Press Tasting, in London, in October offered an impressive range of wines, particularly sparkling ones, that seem perfectly suited for the upcoming holiday season. Here are the highlights and my notes on what stood out for me: Louis Latour Mâcon-Villages 2023 £16 13%I’m typically not drawn to Chardonnay, but this one was exceptional. Sourced from 30+ year-old vines, it had a pale yellow hue with a fresh, floral and honey bouquet. The taste offered hints of honeysuckle with a rich, rounded and slightly musky character. This great wine will be available from the 27th of October…
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Waitrose Autumn Tasting
In October 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Waitrose Autumn Wines, Beers and Spirits Press Tasting. The showcase featured over 125 wines, mostly available in Waitrose stores with a select few only available online at Waitrose Cellar. Waitrose have launched five new offerings in the Loved & Found wine range, including Aranel, Piedirosso, Sousão, Piquepoul Noir, and Terret Blanc. Champagne continues to surge in popularity, with Waitrose outperforming the grocery market by 3.5% in value. The supermarket also dominates the Vintage Champagne category, having a 92% value share year-to-date, outpacing the market by an impressive 25%. Waitrose has…
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Finest Côtes de Provence Rosé
This wine, produced by Castel Frères, stood out to me during a Tesco Summer tasting and I even highlighted it in a roundup at the time. However, it wasn’t until recently that I had the chance to explore this wine in more detail. Now, I’m convinced this is my top pick for the best quality Provence rosé for the price, this year. Great Provence rosés can be quite pricey, often starting at around £15. Despite the cost, many tend to lack flavour, as confirmed by Patrick Schmitt MW during a masterclass I attended. He said that the pressing of the…
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Understanding Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris, has become one of the world’s most popular grapes for white wines. This versatile grape variety produces wines ranging from light and crisp to rich and full-bodied, appealing to a wide range of consumers. Despite the often disdainful attitude towards it from wine aficionados, Pinot Grigio has established itself as one of most commercially important and widely popular grape varieties, offering great taste at a relatively low cost. The US imports 37% of World production and the UK is second place at 27%. Its success is particularly notable in the United Kingdom, where…
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Errazuriz Max Carménère
The Errazuriz Max Carménère is a wine that honours its heritage, named after the founder Maximiano Errázuriz, and made from the challenging yet rewarding 2022 season, one of the driest in the last century. This resulted in a more concentrated wine, rich in both colour and flavour, which is immediately noticeable in its vibrant deep violet hue. The blend is predominantly Carmenère (85.5%), with Syrah (10.7%) and Petit Verdot (3.8%) adding further complexity. Aged for 12 months in a combination of new and old French oak barrels, the wine offers a balance between fruit and oak. There are aromas of…
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Hancock & Hancock Tempranillo
I decided to try Hancock & Hancock’s 2021 Tempranillo because Tempranillo is more commonly associated with Spain’s Rioja region, not Australia in this case. However, the grape is increasingly thriving in Australia’s warm climates, including McLaren Vale. The Hancock brothers, Chris and John, established this label in 2015, with Chris bringing decades of experience from his work at Rosemount Estate and Robert Oatley who distribute this wine into the UK. The wine is made up of 85.3% Tempranillo, with the remaining 14.7% comprised of other varietals. After fermentation, it was aged for 12 months in old oak barrels The wine…
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Lidl Winter Wine Tours
In October 2024, I went to a Lidl press wine tasting event in London, which showcased an interesting selection of wines set to be introduced for the upcoming Winter and Christmas Wine Tours as well as many from the core range. Some of the wines were part of Lidl’s Wine Tour series, where wines are displayed in-store in rustic wooden crates, each labelled with ratings to guide tasters. The concept of these Wine Tours is that the wines are available for around two months, giving customers the chance to sample and purchase them while stocks last. However, the most popular…
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Wines of Greece
In October 2024, I went to a Wines of Greece tasting event in London where there were 127 wines from various regions of Greece. This trade and press event provided an rare opportunity to sample wines predominantly made from grape varietals unfamiliar to me, which added a layer of intrigue to the experience. Here are the wines I liked most from the tasting: Kir Yianni Assyrtiko The North 2023 (13.5%) Assyrtiko is traditionally the star white grape of Santorini, but this wine is produced from grapes transplanted to the northern region of Amyndeon. Aroma wise, it offers crisp aromas of…
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Simply Italian Great Wines Tasting
In early October 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Simply Italian Great Wines Trade Tasting, an event with many exciting wines yet to be available in the UK. For importers and retailers alike, this event offered numerous opportunities to discover new offerings that could bring something fresh to the British market. The tasting started with a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC Masterclass, expertly hosted by Patrick Schmitt MW. The masterclass looked deep into the origins, perceptions, geography, climate and styles of Pinot Grigio, including Rosé variants. Some insights from this session have become part of a wider article…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More
Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More
In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More
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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