Simon Judge

  • IWSC 2025 Results

    IWSC 2025 Results

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    The IWSC 2025 results are now available. The very top Gold winners, each awarded a score of 97, are: tekhi – Gurjaani Wine FactoryGuremani Otskhanuri Sapere 2022Imereti, Georgia Morris WinesOld Premium Rare Muscat NVRutherglen, Victoria, Australia Bolero & CompanySabado Grand Khikhvi Qvevri 2023Gurjaani, Kakheti, Georgia Lo SparviereSylvò Extra Brut 2015Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy Georgian Wines &…

  • Wine Merchant Top 100 2025

    Wine Merchant Top 100 2025

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    The winners of this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100 have been revealed. These represent the top 10% from nearly 1,000 wines assessed during a rigorous day of judging in April, involving 36 independent wine merchants. Further details about why each wine was chosen will be shared in a special supplement due out in July, which…

  • My Top Wines By Value

    My Top Wines By Value

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    This post is all about the best of the best when it comes to value in wine I have tasted recently. I have a separate page listing what I think are the best value wines overall, but this is a selection of those few that stand out even more. These are, in my view, the…

  • Vinho Verde Sun Lotion

    Vinho Verde Sun Lotion

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    Simon Judge

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    Aldi has electronic shelf labelling so they can easily change products and prices. I spotted this in the health area of the Woking store.Electronic shelf label gone rogue or new Vinho Verde packaging?

  • Parcel Series English Sparkling Brut

    Parcel Series English Sparkling Brut

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    Majestic’s Parcel Series wines are sourced from top-tier wineries that discreetly offer a limited amount of stock at significantly reduced prices. This arrangement allows the producers to free up valuable cellar space, while presenting customers with a rare chance to enjoy high-quality wines for much less than their usual cost. This particular wine is a…

  • Global Wine Market Faces Long-Term Decline Amid Shifting Consumer Trends

    Global Wine Market Faces Long-Term Decline Amid Shifting Consumer Trends

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    Wine Australia’s latest Market Bulletin explores a significant global trend in the wine industry: a consistent and widespread decline in wine consumption over recent years. Between 2018 and 2023, global consumption dropped by around 3.1 billion litres, equivalent to approximately 31 billion standard glasses of wine. This pattern of reduction is not limited to one…

  • Riesling for Summer

    Riesling for Summer

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    Hannah Crosbie, of the Guradian Newspaper, shares her renewed love for riesling, sparked by the arrival of warmer weather and a desire for wines that challenge and excite the senses. While riesling has a reputation for appealing to wine enthusiasts due to its distinctive aromas, sometimes reminiscent of petrol and wax, and its sharp acidity…

  • Potential Impacts on Wine Trade Due to Tariffs

    Potential Impacts on Wine Trade Due to Tariffs

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    The new working paper (PDF) examines the projected impact of a US-initiated global tariff hike on the international trade of wine, beer and spirits, set to begin on 8 July 2025. Authored by Kym Anderson and Glyn Wittwer, of the Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide, the study uses a detailed global model of…

  • The Best of South Africa

    The Best of South Africa

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    In mid-May 2025, I attended the Tim Atkin MW The Best of South Africa Tasting, an event Tim described as likely the finest presentation of South African wines in the UK this year. That claim stood up, the range and calibre of wines on show were outstanding. Tim Atkin MW is known for producing an…

  • Mayu Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Pinot Noir

    Mayu Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Pinot Noir

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    Simon Judge

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    I was impressed by this wine at a Majestic press tasting in Autumn 2024. I bought a bottle not long after but it’s taken me some time to get round to opening it. It’s from the Elqui Valley in Chile, where Mayu has been producing wine since 2005. The Mayu name comes from an ancient…

  • Global and UK Wine Market Insights

    Global and UK Wine Market Insights

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    The International Vine and Wine Organisation’s new report on the global vine and wine sector in 2024 outlines a challenging year shaped by ongoing climatic and economic pressures. Worldwide vineyard surface area continued to shrink for the fourth consecutive year, now standing at 7.1 million hectares. Major vine-growing countries such as Spain and France saw…

  • Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting

    Behind the Glass: The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting

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    Simon Judge

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    This book by Gus Zhu, published by Académie du Vin Library (discount code provided later), is a revelatory exploration of why wine tastes, smells and even looks the way it does. Combining scientific rigour with deep sensory insight, Zhu, the first Chinese national to become a Master of Wine, offers readers a richly detailed and…

  • Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

    Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

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    Early May marked the final supermarket tasting of the spring/summer tasting season, with Asda’s showcase in London closing things out. With 128 wines available to try, this event offered a few new additions and some much-loved favourites presented as newer vintages. As expected for the Spring/Summer, there was a strong emphasis on refreshing whites, rosés…

  • Toro Loco Superior Rosé

    Toro Loco Superior Rosé

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    When you have seen Toro Loco at Aldi you would be forgiven for thinking it’s one of their brands invented just for the supermarket shelf, but it’s very much the real thing. It’s produced by NVC Bodegas in Utiel-Requena, a region just inland from Valencia in Spain. This wine is the result of a community…

  • Moillard Thomas Mâcon Rouge

    Moillard Thomas Mâcon Rouge

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    Moillard-Thomas is in Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the Côtes de Nuits and is one of the oldest wine merchants in the region. This Mâcon Rouge, 2024 vintage, 12.5%, from Burgundy, France, is made entirely from Gamay grapes. This light purplish wine starts with a fruity aroma, gently underpinned by a savoury note that hints at something earthy,…

  • Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot

    Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot

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    Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot comes from the foothills of the Hottentot Mountains in South Africa’s Western Cape, produced by the Mount Rozier winery. The estate traces its roots back to the early 1800s, when Annie Rozier, a flower merchant known for foraging wild blooms in the Schapenberg hills, established a reputation for creating natural remedies….

  • The Rise of Own Label Wines

    The Rise of Own Label Wines

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    Attending lots of supermarket wine tastings, you begin to notice patterns. One of the most notable trends of late is the rise and still growing success of own label wines. These are wines sold under a retailer’s branding rather than that of the original producer. But what’s behind this surge? And what does it mean…

  • 25% Off Wine at Tesco

    25% Off Wine at Tesco

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    Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales), from 28 April 2025 until 5 May 2025. See the recent Tesco tasting and Picks for tips on what to buy.

  • Majestic Spring Press Tasting

    Majestic Spring Press Tasting

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    At the start of May, I attended the Majestic Spring Press Tasting 2025, which this time took place at a different venue, the iconic Lord’s cricket ground in London. Spacious and distinct, the surroundings gave a certain charm to the event, helping the wines feel a little more special. The layout benefited from the space…

  • 25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

    25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

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    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 30 April 2025 to 4 May 2025. See yesterday’s Sainsbury’s press tasting for tips on what to buy.

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