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  • Florão Red

    Florão Red

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    Simon Judge

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    This is the sister wine to the Florão White I reviewed previously, so please take a look at that review for the Symington back story. This red comes from Quinta da Fonte Souto in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where the vineyards sit high up in Portalegre. This 2022 vintage is a blend of 35% Alicante Bouschet, 25% Syrah, 25% Aragonez, 10% Alfrocheiro and 5% unspecified old vines. There’s a lovely mix of blackberry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs, liquorice and caramel on the aromas. Deep in colour, it delivers plenty of ripe dark fruit, wrapped in a soft structure with a warming…

  • Roseblood Sparkling

    Roseblood Sparkling

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    Simon Judge

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    Roseblood Sparkling is a new sparkling version of Roseblood Rosé from the historic Château d’Estoublon, which dates back to 1489 and is located in in the Alpilles Natural Regional Park in Provence. Positioned as a premium Provence rosé, it certainly looks the part, with distinctive, luxury-inspired branding and an eye-catching bottle designed to stand out. The blend is 45% Grenache for roundness, 35% Cinsault for finesse and 20% Syrah. It’s a non-vintage sparkling rosé made using the Charmat method, but with an interesting twist. Rather than adding sugar to trigger the secondary fermentation, reserved grape juice is used instead, helping…

  • Florão White

    Florão White

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    Simon Judge

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    This 2025 vintage is a Portuguese white wine from Quinta da Fonte Souto in Alentejo, although you might be surprised to see the Symington family name on the label. They’re far better known for their Port and wines from the Douro Valley. The Symington family acquired Quinta da Fonte Souto in 2017, making it their first vineyard estate outside the Douro. The first wines under their ownership arrived in 2019, including this Florão White. There’s some interesting symbolism on the label. The estate’s stylised emblem brings together three elements: a chestnut tree, a cross associated with the Symington identity and…

  • Noble Riesling Dessert Wine

    Noble Riesling Dessert Wine

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    Simon Judge

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    I first came across this at a recent press tasting and it was one of those wines that made me want to take a closer look. It comes in a half bottle from North Canterbury, New Zealand, but curiously, there’s nothing on the labels to tell you who makes it. However, the information provided at the press tasting revealed that it’s produced by the highly acclaimed Pegasus Bay. The name Noble Riesling comes from the use of Riesling grapes affected by ‘noble rot’, caused by a fungus called Botrytis cinerea. Under the right conditions, this makes the grapes shrivel and…

  • The Astronomer Viognier

    The Astronomer Viognier

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    Simon Judge

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    This extremely young, 2026 vintage, wine takes its inspiration from a saying attributed to Galileo: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered, the point is to discover them.” Time, then, to discover this wine. My own discovery was rather less astronomical. I spotted it at Aldi as the discounted Wine of the Week. It’s produced by Australia’s De Bortoli, a name I usually associate with honeyed, sweet dessert wines. Viognier, meanwhile, tends to send my thoughts straight to France. This bottle is an example from much further afield. In the glass, it’s almost clear, but there’s plenty…

  • Screaming Devil Brut

    Screaming Devil Brut

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    Simon Judge

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    This is a new arrival at Asda and it’s an interesting next step for a wine brand that started life as a bit of a cheeky imitation. For anyone unfamiliar with Screaming Devil, the name is a tongue-in-cheek spin on Whispering Angel, the rosé that quickly caught everyone’s attention. Asda’s original Screaming Devil Côtes de Provence still rosé was a runaway success, and now the supermarket is extending the range into sparkling wine. This time, though, it’s not trying to copy anything. There isn’t a sparkling Whispering Angel to imitate. Another difference is that Screaming Devil Brut carries the IGP…

  • Exceptional Pouilly-Fumé

    Exceptional Pouilly-Fumé

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    Simon Judge

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    This is a wine I discovered at the recent Asda Autumn Winter press showcase and I wanted to take a closer look. The term Fumé, meaning smoky, traditionally has two explanations. The first refers to the light grey bloom that develops on mature Sauvignon Blanc grapes, giving them an almost smoky appearance. The second comes from the association between local flint soils and the smoky characteristics sometimes found in the wines. This is the 2025 vintage from the Loire Valley, produced and bottled in France by Léon Vatan. Notably, it’s not shipped over in bulk for bottling in the UK.…

  • Palumbo Falanghina

    Palumbo Falanghina

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    Simon Judge

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    More usually associated with Campania or Sicily, this Falanghina is different in that it comes from Puglia in southern Italy. It is made by Cantine Torrevento, a winery based in the northern part of the region, and from the well-known winemaker Leonardo Palumbo, who has put his own name on the label. This is the 2025 vintage and it has a very respectable Vivino score of 4/5. Clear in colour, it starts with a citrus and a distinctive pineapple aroma. That pineapple character follows through strongly in the flavour, balanced by fresh citrus acidity. As it warms up, a slight…

  • Kew Series Carricante

    Kew Series Carricante

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    Simon Judge

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    Kew Series Carricante is made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, using Carricante, an indigenous Sicilian grape variety. This is the 2024 vintage, from vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily and has a refreshingly modest 11% ABV. Made by W/O Wines from organically grown grapes, it is also vegan. The W/O philosophy is all about doing things without (W/O) compromise, with sustainability placed front and centre. That extends to the packaging, with a bottle made from 100% post-consumer recycled wild glass and no neck foil. In the glass it is a pale lemon colour. Lemon…

  • Maison Galoupet ‘G de Galoupet’ Organic Rosé

    Maison Galoupet ‘G de Galoupet’ Organic Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    Maison Galoupet is a 300-year-old estate sitting along the Mediterranean coast in the Côtes de Provence. It holds prestigious Cru Classé status, a distinction awarded to only 18 producers in the region. In 2019, Moët Hennessy acquired the 160-hectare estate and put organic certification and sustainability at the heart of its operations. There is a strong focus on regional biodiversity too, with the estate home to five million bees and a queen bee breeding station run in partnership with the Observatoire Français d’Apidologie. G de Galoupet is a blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Rolle, 10% Syrah and 5%…

  • Beck Ink

    Beck Ink

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    Simon Judge

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    I came across Beck Ink while eating at Unwined, a wine bar and restaurant near Waterloo in London. It comes from Judith Beck in Austria, close to Lake Neusiedl in the east of the country, where she works organically and biodynamically, with a low-intervention approach to winemaking. Beck Ink is a blend of Zweigelt and St. Laurent grapes. Despite the “Ink” name and its deep colour, this isn’t intended to be a massive or heavily extracted red. This is the 2023 vintage, at 12% ABV. There is a deep cherry, cinnamon and clove on the aroma. It tastes wonderfully juicy,…

  • Finest Nero d’Avola

    Finest Nero d’Avola

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    Simon Judge

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    This Finest Nero d’Avola was one my wife picked up at Tesco and it turned out to be a great choice. It is good to see the producer, Colomba Bianca, actually named rather than finding another anonymous bulk-bottled wine. This is bottled at source in western Sicily, around Mazara del Vallo and Salemi in the province of Trapani, by this wine co-operative representing some 2,480 individual grape growers. Colomba Bianca is not simply a mass wine producer either. The co-operative has been moving towards more quality-focused bottled wines, including organic ranges and wines made from selected old vineyards. The grape…

  • Veuve Ambal Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc

    Veuve Ambal Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc

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    Simon Judge

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    This is a new wine at Majestic. Its from Burgundy, made by Maison Veuve Ambal, a producer that has been around since 1898. The business is now run by the sixth generation of the Piffaut family and today has a strong commitment to sustainable practices, having earned France’s highest official tier of environmental certification. Veuve Ambal is also one of the principal producers of Crémant de Bourgogne. This is a non-vintage sparkling wine made from 95% Chardonnay and 5% Aligoté, both white grapes, hence the Blanc de Blancs name. It is made in the same way as Champagne, with a…

  • Vinca Organic Red Wine

    Vinca Organic Red Wine

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    Simon Judge

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    I broke one of my own rules with this one, not picking up a wine simply because the packaging looks different or attractive, but curiosity got the better of me. Wine in a can is nothing unusual these days, but a full 750ml can certainly is. The can is made from recycled aluminium, with Vinca claiming it produces four times less CO2 than glass bottles. There is also a special internal lining designed to keep the wine protected from contact with the metal. The brand is Vinca Wine, founded by friends Jack Green, Zak Walters and Charlie Vass. Green’s interest…

  • High Clandon The Cerulean Cuvée

    High Clandon The Cerulean Cuvée

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    Simon Judge

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    The Cerulean Cuvée 2020 was a real treat, shared with my wife and I, when we went round to see friends who live close to High Clandon Estate in East Clandon, on the chalky Surrey Hills. The estate was founded in 2004 by Sibylla and Bruce Tindale and is very much a small, boutique operation. I have visited before for events, with wine, including charity art exhibitions. Its one-acre vineyard is entirely hand tended. High Clandon has built an impressive reputation for such a small estate. It has won the IWC Cellar Door of the Year trophy twice and received…

  • De Chanceny, Crémant de Loire Rosé

    De Chanceny, Crémant de Loire Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    This is a non-vintage Crémant, from the vineyards located around the village of Brossay, in the southern part of the Saumur region. It is produced by Vignerons de Saumur and is a blend of 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Grolleau, with an alcohol level of 11.5%. This wine is made using the traditional method, with a second fermentation in bottle, followed by ageing in tuffeau limestone cellars. Tuffeau is the distinctive white stone that was also used in the construction of many of the Loire’s famous castles. It picked up Silver at the 2022 Concours des Crémants, a Silver Medal…

  • Viña del Cura Reserva

    Viña del Cura Reserva

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    Simon Judge

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    I first came across this wine at a Tesco press tasting and it was one of those wines that immediately stood out. I was interested to see whether a full bottle at home would live up to that first impression. This 2021 vintage is made from 100% Tempranillo by Barón de Ley. It spends 20 months ageing in French and American oak, followed by a further 16 months in bottle, and finishes at 14% abv. This is the real deal. It is estate bottled, with DOCa Rioja prohibiting bulk bottling, and it comes from a renowned producer with a strong…

  • Domaine des Echardières Touraine Rosé

    Domaine des Echardières Touraine Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    This wine comes from Domaine des Echardières in the Cher Valley, in France’s Loire region. It’s a lively blend of roughly equal quantities of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Grolleau, all bringing fragrance and juicy fruit, alongside a rare red grape, Pineau d’Aunis. This is the 2025 vintage, at 12.5% abv, and it has earned a very impressive 4.7 out of 5 on The Wine Society website. The colour is a delicate, almost luminous light pink. There’s a gentle floral character at first, quickly joined by fresh raspberry. Take a sip and it almost seems sweet for a moment, but…

  • Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Palazzo Maffei

    Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Palazzo Maffei

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    Simon Judge

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    I particularly liked this wine at the last Co-op press tasting and found myself looking for it every time I went into my local Co-op afterwards. It proved surprisingly elusive. I finally spotted it while on holiday in Dorset, so I snapped up a bottle. The Palazzo Maffei name comes directly from the historic estate once occupied by the Marquises Maffei. The Maffei family was prominent among Verona’s aristocracy, and the estate itself appears on maps dating from around 1600. This 2021 vintage is a blend of 60% Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella. The Superiore designation means it has…

  • Ormarine Cuvée Estela Picpoul de Pinet

    Ormarine Cuvée Estela Picpoul de Pinet

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    Simon Judge

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    This is the new 2025 vintage of this distinctive Picpoul from the South of France. It comes from the Languedoc, now administratively part of Occitanie, specifically the AOP Picpoul de Pinet appellation in Hérault. Unlike a classic Picpoul, Cuvée Estela spends a minimum of six months ageing on its lees, giving the wine greater weight and a richer, more rounded mouthfeel. The label prominently carries the words “Élevée sur Lies Fines”, making a clear distinction between this fuller lees-aged version and the producer’s more straightforward Picpoul bottlings. It comes in at 12.5% ABV. In the glass it is a pale…

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Did You Know?

Supermarkets remain the dominant purchasing channel, used by 77.8% of respondents. More

Champagne remains the leading celebratory sparkling wine at 33.4%, followed by Prosecco at 27.4% and English Sparkling wine at 20%. More

34% of people identify high wine prices as a leading frustration. More

Australian wine exports to China have collapsed from around $1.2 billion to less than $10 million. More

Wine’s aroma is not determined solely by which flavour compounds it contains. More

Low-to-moderate wine consumption is associated with lower mortality. More

Moderate water stress can be part of what creates flavour and terroir expression. More

Wine appears less frequently online than other alcoholic drinks. More

Independent retailers had 9% fewer customers in March 2026 than two years earlier. More

Average spend per bottle in independents has risen by 23% since 2019, compared with 21% in supermarkets. More.

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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