Simon Judge
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The Bordeaux Experience
On 1st May 2024, the inaugural event of Vins de Bordeaux’s new global campaign, ‘The Bordeaux Crew’ came to London, designed collaboratively by the region’s winemaking community. This initiative was supported by the Bordeaux Wine Council (CVIB) and aimed to engage both the wine industry and enthusiasts. The event showcased a curated selection of over 100 Bordeaux wines, ranging from modern interpretations to classic vintages. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the diverse portfolio of Bordeaux wine through various activities staged throughout the venue. Among the activities were pop-up talks, providing insights into Bordeaux’s winemaking traditions and innovations. A unique…
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Tight Wine
Tight refers to a red wine that is not quite expressive in aroma and flavour when it is initially opened and tasted. This term is often used to describe younger red wines. Tight wines generally have high acidity and tannin levels that haven’t yet integrated smoothly with the wine’s fruit and other components. Over time, as the wine matures, either in the bottle or after being decanted, it can open up, meaning the flavours and aromas become more pronounced and harmonious. Essentially, a tight wine is one that needs a bit more time to reveal its full character.
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Mud House Win a Holiday Competition
Mud House is collaborating with Coolstays with a new promotional campaign, ‘Taste a World of Adventure’. Fifteen lucky Mud House customers will win a significant getaway package that includes £1000 in spending money. Additionally, one hundred customers will have the chance to win a premium backpack made from recycled materials. Participants can enter the competition by scanning a QR code found on the product packaging or through digital channels and by completing a form on a dedicated microsite. The campaign is supported by dynamic in-store displays and online content, including collaborations with influential travel figures Jess and Charlie from @the.travel.project.…
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Sainsbury’s Spring Summer Tasting
Sainsbury’s hosted their press wine tasting event in May 2024 in London, offering a selection of 70 wines. The focus was primarily on white, sparkling, and rosé wines, along with a limited number of mainly lighter reds, curated to complement the Spring and Summer seasons. The event also highlighted some of Sainsbury’s mid-strength wine range, which the supermarket says is leading the market. This range is part of a growing trend towards lower alcohol by volume (ABV) wines, reflecting increased consumer interest in this category. These are the wines that stood out for me:(Prices are obviously subject to change and…
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25% off Wine at Morrisons
25% discount on 6 or more bottles of wine, £5 or more, until 6 May 2024.
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Majestic Spring Press Tasting
The Majestic Spring Press Tasting took place in April 2024, in London, revolving around the tag line “There’s a story behind every glass”. This event was notable not just for the wines themselves but also for the impressive detail in the thick, 209 page tasting notes booklet, covering the 101 wines. This tasting included the latest additions to the Majestic range, including significant changes to their ‘Definition’ range where new wine producers have been swapped in to enhance quality. Additionally, Majestic has begun supplying to the hospitality sector and has acquired Vagabond Wines, a move that aligns with their strategy…
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Real Wine Fair
On April 29, 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the trade/press day for the Real Wine Fair in London, an event that brought together 180 organic, biodynamic, and low-intervention producers. With a staggering array of 900+ wines, this fair was a vibrant showcase of some of the world’s most talented artisan vignerons. Although it was impossible to visit every producer’s stand or taste all the wines, I made a large effort to try as much as possible. However, I must have missed many great wines. The low-intervention approach taken by producers often results in wines that are not necessarily…
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Electronic Tongue vs Humans
A new study evaluates the effectiveness of an electronic tongue (e-tongue) compared to human sensory panels in detecting faults in Riesling wine over a 42-day storage period. Riesling wines either unmodified (control) or inoculated with specific microorganisms known for spoiling wine were assessed every seven days using both the e-tongue and a sensory panel. The e-tongue detected changes in wine chemistry due to microbial action significantly earlier than the human sensory panel, identifying changes from day 7 onwards while the sensory panel only detected these changes from day 35. The e-tongue’s ability to detect differences without sensory fatigue offers a…
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Understanding Bordeaux Wines
Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is renowned for its vast vineyards and historically significant châteaux. As the largest French region for quality wine production, Bordeaux’s influence stretches across centuries, shaping the taste and expectations of wine enthusiasts around the world. The Bordeaux wine industry is comprised of approximately 5,000 winemakers and 29 cooperative wine cellars, collectively employing over 60,000 people. The 2023 harvest yielded 3.8 million hectolitres, equivalent to about 512 million bottles of wine. The composition of the wines produced in 2023 was predominantly red, accounting for 81% of the total production. Dry white wines represented 11%,…
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25% off Wine at Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has 25% off wine, 6 bottles or more, £6 or more (£7 in Wales), from 29 April until 5 May 2024.
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Research Into What Causes Minerality
There’s new research by University of Reading’s School of Agriculture on Minerality in Wine: Textual Analysis of Chablis Premier Cru Tasting Notes. The concept of minerality in wine, often used to describe the sensory qualities of high-quality white wines from cooler regions like Chablis, has been subject to much debate and analysis. Minerality is typically associated with descriptions like gunflint, wet stones and seashells, suggesting a link with the terroir’s geological and soil composition. However, the literal interpretation of minerality as a taste of the soil’s inorganic components has been contested. A comprehensive study analysed over 16,000 Chablis Premier Cru…
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Wine on a P&O Cruise
I recently embarked on a short P&O cruise, primarily for a holiday rather than to scrutinise their wine offerings. However, I couldn’t help but take a few notes. The quality of wine on cruises can be unpredictable, with underqualified staff and seriously overpriced bottles due to the captive audience. However, P&O stands out from the typical cruise line experience. Predominantly serving UK customers and despite owned by the US-based Carnival Corporation, P&O offers a refreshing divergence from the usual US-centric wine selections found on other lines. While the standard, limited, wine offerings in the P&O bars and restaurants are mostly…
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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, until 11:59pm on Monday 6 May 2024.
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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, from 23 April 2024 until 6 May 2024.
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Affordable and Lesser-Known Bordeaux Wines to Try
David Williams, writing for The Guardian newspaper, highlights a range of lesser-known and more affordable Bordeaux wines as the famous wine region prepares to showcase its 2023 vintage. Here are the wines he mentions, along with their prices and suppliers: Château des Antonins Bordeaux Blanc 2022 – This white wine offers a blend of tangy grapefruit, herbiness, and creamy weightiness. It is priced at £11.90 and available from Noble Green Wines. Chosen by Majestic Claret 2022 – A red Bordeaux that features refreshing plum succulence, priced at £10.99, or £8.99 if bought as part of a mixed case of six…
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Wine With Cheese
Pairing wine with cheese offers a symphony of flavours that can elevate both the wine and the cheese to new heights. The key to a successful pairing is balancing intensity and harmony in flavours and textures. Here’s a general guide to get you started, but remember, these are guidelines rather than strict rules. Exploration and personal preference play significant roles in finding your perfect pairings.
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Portuguese Wines That Offer Unique and Delightful Flavours
Susy Atkins, from the Telegraph Newspaper, highlights five Portuguese wines that offer unique and delightful flavours, diverging from common varietals like Malbec or Chardonnay. These wines, originating from various parts of Portugal, showcase the rich diversity and potential beyond the well-known ports and rosés. Here’s a summary of the wines along with their prices and suppliers: Animus 2021, Douro – A red table wine made from the same red grapes used for port. It features juicy red plums and a hint of violets with a rounded texture. This wine is priced at £6.49 from Aldi. There’s also a more structured…
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Co-op Irresistible Provence Rosé
Produced by Les Maîtres Vignerons de Vidauban wine cooperative in the Côtes de Provence, this winery has been crafting wines for over a century. The 2022 vintage has 13% alcohol by volume and is vegan-friendly. This wine is distinguished by its delicate pale pink colour. The aroma is of small red fruits complemented by subtle floral notes, creating an inviting bouquet. The taste has a very fruity flavour profile that harmoniously combines with a pleasing acidity, making it very well balanced. This balance makes it versatile, pairing well with a variety of dishes including salads, pizza or spicy pasta dishes.…
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Wine With Spicy Food
Pairing wine with spicy food can be a interesting exploration of flavours if done thoughtfully. The key is to choose wines that balance the heat and enhance the dish’s flavours without overpowering them. Here are some recommendations that harmonise with spicy cuisines: When pairing wine with spicy food, it’s generally best to avoid high-tannin reds or overly oaky whites, as these can intensify the sensation of heat. Instead, opt for wines with lower alcohol levels, good acidity and some residual sweetness to balance the spice. Each dish and wine pairing offers a unique experience, so feel free to experiment.
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JPR Alicante Bouschet
If you come across this particular Portuguese wine at the Coop, its modest label and unfamiliar name might not immediately catch your eye. Alicante Bouschet is a varietal developed in the late 19th century by vine breeder Henri Bouschet. Henri crossed one of his father’s hybrids with the Grenache (or Garnacha) grape, resulting in an early-ripening variety with red skin and red flesh, termed a Teinturier red, which is rare. This type of grape, sometimes referred to simply as Alicante, typically provides bold flavours and has a deep colour making it useful for blending with wines to make them darker.…
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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