Simon Judge
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One Glass Could Be Too Much
The UK Government is considering tougher drink-driving rules as part of a renewed effort to cut road deaths and serious injuries. Newly announced proposals aim to reduce casualties on Britain’s roads by 65 per cent by 2035, with a particular focus on lowering the amount of alcohol drivers are legally allowed to have in their system. At present, the legal drink-drive limits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood, and 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. These limits have been in place for…
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Understanding Non-Alcoholic Wine
Dry January has become the annual moment when even committed wine drinkers are tempted to experiment, not just because they want to “be good”, but because it gives a time to reset habits, compare options and talk about it socially. Ahead of the previous 2025 Dry January challenge, Alcohol Change UK said 15.5 million people were planning a booze-free January, with saving money and better sleep among the top motivations. That one-month change has turned into a year-round shift. “Sober-curious” socialising has moved from niche to normal. People still want a drink in hand at a dinner party, a date,…
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Magec Piedra Fluida
This is a return to a wine I first encountered during The Wine Society’s Autumn Press Tasting. A blend of Tenerife’s red Listán Negro and white Listán Blanco, this 2023 release comes with a story shaped by adversity. The devastating fires that swept across the island in August 2023 were the worst seen in four decades. In response, the winery made the unusual decision to bottle only a small portion of their red harvest, selecting the best of what could be salvaged from each vineyard. What has emerged is a unique cuvée, drawing together fruit that would typically be reserved…
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1086 by Nyetimber
This bottle arrived just in time for my Comparative Review of English Sparkling, though I held off opening it then. Its release was still pending and, with two other Nyetimber wines already included in that comparison, it seemed wise to wait. With the wine now officially launched, New Year celebrations provided the perfect moment to give it the attention it deserves. Named 1086 in tribute to the first recorded mention of the West Sussex estate in the Domesday Book, this is a wine reserved for only the finest of vintages. This 2014 vintage is made from the best selections of…
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Undurraga Candelabro Itata Reserva Cinsault
This was an affordable pick I first discovered at The Wine Society’s Autumn press tasting and felt drawn to revisit. It’s named after the Candelabro cactus, a striking plant found in the protected Natural Monument Quebrada de Cardones, in Chile. Viña Undurraga support this conservation area through this wine. The wine comes from the Itata Valley, deep in the south of Chile, a region known for its dry-farmed old bush vines. These are unirrigated plantings of 100% Cinsault, rooted since the 1950s and 60s in the rugged terrain of Itata. There’s no oak involved in its making, allowing the fruit…
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Valle del Bio Bio Chilean Pinot Noir
This is a new vintage of one of my highlights of 2025. I first came across the 2023 release at the Sainsbury’s Spring Summer Press Tasting and later explored it in more depth at home. It also featured in my Pinot Noir retrospection. The 2024 vintage, now with an updated front label, received recognition at both the IWC and IWSC 2025 competitions, so I was keen to try it. As with the earlier vintage, the wine is made by Diego Covarrubias of Viña Indómita, a respected figure in Chilean winemaking and regularly praised by critic James Suckling. At first, I…
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Black Chalk Classic
We celebrated with a bottle of Black Chalk Classic on Christmas Day ’25 and it brought a real spark to the occasion. From the Test Valley in Hampshire, Black Chalk is run by Jacob Leadley, an award-winning winemaker, along with his family. Their approach is focused and artisan, producing traditional method sparkling wines in small batches. The grapes come exclusively from a handful of chalk downland vineyards in Hampshire. There’s a clear intention not to mimic Champagne. Instead, they aim to produce something with its own character and intrigue. The 2022 vintage comes in at 12% ABV and is a…
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Journey’s End Sir Lowry Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is a thoughtful gift that arrived courtesy of a generous house guest, so thank you Hugh! It comes from South Africa, more precisely from the foothills of the Hottentot Mountains. Its name pays tribute to Sir Lowry’s Pass, a well-known landmark close to the winery in the Western Cape, itself named after Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, a British colonial figure who served as Governor of the Cape from 1828. Made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 vintage has spent 18 months in French oak. At 13.5% ABV, it pours with a slightly browning colour. The aromas is of…
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Best from The Global Wine Masters 2025
The Drinks Business has unveiled the best of the best from The Global Wine Masters 2025. Following the assessment of nearly 4,000 wines across 33 standalone competitions throughout the year, a select group of bottles has been recognised as the finest in their category, each one a benchmark for its style and region. Here are the wines: Best Rosé – Garrus, Château d’Esclans, Provence, France (2023) – £100Best Champagne – Piper-Heidsieck 2018, Champagne, France – £80Best Sparkling Wine – Ayala La Perle 2015, Champagne, France – £140Best Prosecco – Bisol 1542 Valdobbiadene Cartizze DOCG Dry 2024, Veneto, Italy – £36Best…
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Poulsard Fruitiere Vinicole D’Arbois
Given to me at the end of The Wine Society press tasting tucked inside a goody bag this wine came in a can that suggested something far simpler perhaps a run-of-the-mill Merlot-style red. It was a surprise to find something far more engaging inside. This wine comes from Jura in eastern France produced by Fruitière Vinicole d’Arbois one of the country’s oldest co-operatives based in Arbois. It’s made entirely from Poulsard, also known locally as Ploussard, a red grape variety native to the region and grown almost nowhere else. Poulsard is known for its delicate skin and low pigment producing…
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Iskar Rară Neagră
This is a return to a wine that was my favourite during the Autumn/Winter Aldi press tasting. From Asconi Winery in Moldova, a family-run venture established in 1994, their focus has always been on producing the best possible wines by embracing the latest, specifically Italian, technology. The 2021 vintage comes in at 13.5% abv and is made from 85% Rară Neagră, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It delivers exactly as it did at the tasting. A strong aroma brings rich dark fruit with a lovely thread of smokiness running through it. The taste leans into an initially sweet-tinged profile,…
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The Bibendum Wine Trend Report and What it Means for UK Wine Lists
Bibendum’s new Wine Trend Report 2026 argues that UK hospitality venues have had a tough year, with restaurants driving declines as consumers cut back on eating out and with added headwinds around younger drinkers entering the category. The report frames this as a moment where tighter spending and changing occasions can still create opportunities for better-focused wine lists. It highlights several broad market shifts for 2026. Wine lists are expected to polarise towards either genuinely affordable choices or bottles that feel meaningful, putting pressure on the “middle” of the list unless each wine has a clear reason to be there.…
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25% Off Specially Selected Wine at Aldi
Aldi has up to 25% off Specially Selected wine until 24 December 2025.
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Moillard Crémant de Bourgogne Chardonnay
This 2021 vintage sparkling is wine made entirely from Chardonnay and produced in the traditional method by Moillard, one of Burgundy’s most historic and respected houses, established in the 18th century in Nuits-Saint-Georges. This vintage has spent twelve months on lees, going beyond the nine-month minimum required for Crémant, giving it extra depth and complexity. The wine has a pale golden yellow colour with a very energetic rush of bubbles at first pour, as shown in my photograph. Aromas are floral and nutty with hints of apple drifting through. On the tongue it is distinctly dry, with a bright acidic…
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Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day
Light strike is a well-known but often underestimated cause of wine spoilage, particularly in white and rosé wines. Despite increasing awareness, it’s becoming more common to see wines displayed under feature lights in both supermarkets and hospitality settings. Some retailers are even installing lighting within wine racks to make displays more appealing, likely unaware that this could be damaging the wine. A recent study has highlighted just how quickly light exposure can trigger faults. Riboflavin, a naturally occurring compound in wine, begins to break down under light. This breakdown leads to the formation of volatile sulphur compounds, responsible for unpleasant…
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Château Méaume Matured Bordeaux Supérieur
Exclusively available at Majestic, this special release of Château Méaume has been introduced to honour 45 years of partnership between the winery and the retailer. It’s a significant bottle for both, marking a relationship that began in 1980 when the British owners, Alan and Sue Johnson-Hill, attended the opening of Majestic’s very first store. Their son, Mark, now leads the winemaking, taking the reins for this 2019 vintage. Made predominantly from Merlot grown near the famous regions of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, this Bordeaux Supérieur benefits from low-yield vines and has been matured in oak for no less than a year.…
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Surani Costarossa Primitivo di Manduria
The 2023 vintage from Agricola Surani is made from Primitivo grapes and aged in oak for a year. It has earned a strong reputation, with 96% of 622 reviewers at Majestic saying they’d buy it again and a solid 4.0 rating on Vivino. The aroma is generous with black cherry, fig and spice, hinting at richness, but the wine reveals something brighter once poured. Its colour is a lively red cherry, a touch lighter than expected for this type of wine and a wine sitting at 14% ABV. Flavour-wise, it leans into lush cherry fruit, supported by a medium to…
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Traditional Method
The traditional method for making sparkling wine, sometimes called méthode traditionnelle, is the classic way of creating bubbles inside the bottle. A still base wine is first made from suitable grapes, then a measured mixture of yeast and sugar is added before the wine is bottled and sealed. This triggers a second fermentation in the bottle, which produces carbon dioxide that cannot escape and so dissolves into the wine, forming fine, persistent bubbles. Over time the wine rests on its spent yeast cells, known as lees, which can add flavours and textures like brioche, toast, biscuit and a creamy mouthfeel.…
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€0.01 Bottle of Wine in French Supermarket
In a Lidl supermarket in Sérignan in the Hérault region a 75 cl bottle of Côtes-de-Gascogne rosé was briefly on sale for €0.01, far below its normal price of about €2.99, sparking anger among local winegrowers. Lidl said the price was the result of an internal labelling error and removed the bottles once the issue was raised, but the label had presented the price as part of a “flash sale”. Farmers’ union representatives said the shockingly low figure undermines local producers already struggling with climate change and shifting drinking habits, and warned they would protest if similar pricing reappears in…
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La Masseria Del Borgo Primitivo di Manduria
This wine has been a long-time favourite of mine, though my feelings about it have moved up and down over the years as the wine changed over the vintages. It comes from Puglia in southern Italy. The Primitivo grape shows different characteristics depending on where it is grown, and there are clear distinctions between the key Primitivo DOC areas of Manduria, Gioia del Colle and Salento. Among these, Manduria stands out as the top DOC for Primitivo, known for producing wines that are usually bold, generous in structure and often higher in alcohol. This particular wine enjoys a strong 4.2…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
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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