Reviews

  • Specially Selected Toscana Rosso

    Specially Selected Toscana Rosso

    The Specially Selected Toscana Rosso 2021 is a red, 14% alcohol, wine that’s medium to full-bodied. Its origins are somewhat shrouded in mystery, with the bottle labels being coy about the wine producer. Despite the lack of provenance, there’s a clue of its origin on the back label – a mention of bottled for Buontalenti…

  • Corte Lenguin Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore

    Corte Lenguin Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore

    I recently had the pleasure of dining at the excellent Mercato Italiano in Bridport, Dorset. It was here that I discovered the Corte Lenguin Valpolicella Ripasso, DOC certified and medium to full-bodied. The blend of Corvina Veronese, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes blends beautifully to create a great flavour. A high rating of 4.0 on Vivino…

  • Blutengarten Riesling

    Blutengarten Riesling

    I have just had the pleasure of trying a wine that I wouldn’t have picked up myself due to its very low price, but my wife did, and I must say it was a great surprise. With a 3.9 score on Vivino, this wine punches above its weight. It’s off-dry, making it versatile enough for…

  • Expressions Negroamaro

    Expressions Negroamaro

    This is an all new, 2022 vintage, organic and vegan wine from Marks and Spencer. Produced by the talented Alessandro Michelon of Orion Wines, this wine doesn’t yet have any reviews anywhere. It’s a medium to full-bodied wine, rich in flavour and character. Blackcurrant, liquorice and black pepper. Almost meaty with a long and lingering…

  • Pazzia Primitivo di Manduria

    Pazzia Primitivo di Manduria

    This Primitivo di Manduria has gained a reputation, not just for its 4.2 rating on Vivino but also for being among Vivino’s the top 25 Southern Italy Primitivo wines in the United Kingdom at the time of writing this review. A previous 2019 vintage was a Bronze IWC winner. Decanter’s review of previous vintages, which…

  • Pontarelli Toscana Rosso

    Pontarelli Toscana Rosso

    This wine, IGT classified, is a blend of 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and a dominant 70% Sangiovese produced exclusively for Marks & Spencer. It undergoes a mixed fermentation process, utilising a combination of concrete, stainless steel tanks and large oak casks. This method is designed to enhance the wine’s fruit characters. Critics seem to…

  • Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia 2021

    Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia 2021

    This wine from Marks & Spencer’s is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot and 9% Syrah/Shiraz. It has mixed reviews on the M&S site but a relatively high score of 89 by Decanter and a more modest 3.4 on Vivino. Instead of traditional barrel aging, it’s matured with cheaper French oak staves for…

  • Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

    Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

    Ravenswood, once a revered producer closely linked with the renowned winemaker and owner, Joel Peterson, has seen a series of transitions. Initially acquired by Constellation for $149 million, it was later bundled with other brands and sold to the large wine conglomerate, Gallo, in 2021 for $1.7 billion. It’s essential to note that while the…

  • Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc

    Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc

    When it comes to Chilean wines, Concha Y Toro is a mass producer that delivers wines that are both accessible and enjoyable. With a commendable score of 3.9 on Vivino and a ranking as the #2 top Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in the UK, expectations were high. As someone who enjoys the robust flavours of the…

  • Sainsbury’s Cava Brut

    Sainsbury’s Cava Brut

    Sainsbury’s Cava Brut is a great find for those who are looking for a middle ground, taste-wise, between Prosecco and Champagne. Fermented in the bottle using the traditional method, this Cava features a blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada grapes. While the reviews on Sainsbury’s website are a mixed bag, I suspect that some of…

  • Greyfriars Non Vintage Cuvée

    Greyfriars Non Vintage Cuvée

    This English NV Sparkling Cuvée uses the three traditional Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Drawing from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages, this sparkling wine has been aged in bottle for two years on its lees. It’s no surprise that it won the 2023 WineGB Gold Medal. The Cuvée is soft and…

  • Espartero Reserva Rioja

    Espartero Reserva Rioja

    This 2017 Reserva, from Bodegas Riovinsa, previously won a bronze medal from the International Wine Challenge, where it was described as having notes of herbs, tea leaves and red cherries. It was also a Bronze Winner at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards. Since its establishment in 1926, the winery has been operated by three…

  • Passo del Cardinale Primitivo di Manduria

    Passo del Cardinale Primitivo di Manduria

    I recently had the pleasure of trying a Primitivo that has been given an award by Gambero Rosso magazine, a global authority on Italian food, wine and travel. With a rating of 4.1 on Vivino and an impressive 4.3 for its latest 2022 vintage, this wine piqued my interest. Upon tasting, I found it to…

  • Montagne Saint Emilion

    Montagne Saint Emilion

    Montagne Saint Emilion, produced by Armand Chaperon, has garnered attention with its impressive awards, including the IWSC Bronze Medal, IWC Bronze Medal and Decanter World Wine Awards Bronze in 2023. With such high expectations, it’s easy to see why I was keen to give it a try. The wine was even compared to the much-admired…

  • Bosman Nero

    Bosman Nero

    In 2021, South Africa introduced Bosman Nero, its first Nero d’Avola, a collaboration with actor and filmmaker Thapelo Mokoena, who is a shareholder in the project. Created by winemaker Corlea Fourie, this wine is made from Nero d’Avola, a vine chosen for thriving in sun-rich, water-scarce African soil. With a commendable 3.9 score on Vivino…

  • Morandé ‘One to One’ Gewürztraminer

    Morandé ‘One to One’ Gewürztraminer

    Morandé was the first winery in the Chile Casablanca Valley and were the first to receive sustainable certification in Chile. Their One to One Gewürztraminer is different in that each bottle originates from a single vine, thus explaining the product’s name. The word ‘Gewürz’ means ‘spice’ in German, reflecting the wine’s unique flavour profile, which…

  • ASDA Extra Special Carménère

    ASDA Extra Special Carménère

    Carménère, originally cultivated in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, is part of the Cabernet family. It derives its name from the French term for crimson, “carmin”. Despite its French origins, it’s not frequently found in France today, with Chile boasting the world’s largest plantations of this grape variety. The 2020 vintage of ASDA Extra…

  • ASDA Extra Special Soave Classico

    ASDA Extra Special Soave Classico

    This nutty, white wine is from Italy’s Veneto region. Soave is renowned for its delicate smoothness and freshness and it is made primarily with Garganega grapes forming a minimum of 70% of the blend. There are two Soave classifications – Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). The DOC…

  • Dr L Riesling

    Dr L Riesling

    Originating from the Mosel region of Germany, this fruity Riesling has a refreshingly crisp flavour despite its low alcohol content of 8.5%. The honey-like sweetness is balanced by the acidity that together provide a lengthy finish. This medium-to-sweet wine ranks amongst the top 25 German Rieslings in the UK on Vivino, with an impressive score…

  • Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

    Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

    With a medium body, this wine has flavours of ripe cherries, accompanied by sweet spices and an enticing whisper of smoke. Under Italian wine regulations, a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine must contain at least 85% Montepulciano with Sangiovese permitted to make up to 15% of the remaining blend. The wine is required to be aged for…

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Did You Know?

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