Last night’s tasting with Andover Wine Friends reviewed Italy’s sparkling wines – the everyday bottles (basically tank-fermented) and the special occasion bottles (traditional method with classic varieties). Here is the line up for tank fermented: Passerina (example of a local variety, here from the Marche), Lambrusco, top quality Prosecco Superiore and delightful, inexpensive Asti.
My second week in South Africa’s Western Cape was a mixture of visits to Elgin and Hermanus plus some wonderful holiday days in Franschhoek and finally Cape Town. I cover a few more wines here, to complement my last post about the top wines of the visit. My photo essay of the area around Cape
Sauvignon, Pinot, Chardonnay and gastronomy in the Western Cape Read More »
In the course of fifteen days in the Western Cape, more than half of them on a formal visit organised by Wines of South Africa, I think I received a pretty good snapshot of the current state of the wine lands. As elsewhere in the world, the emphasis was on fruit freshness, balancing acidity and
Best wines of the S Africa trip Read More »
It is hardly news that Cape Town – the extended area around Table Mountain – is extraordinarily photogenic. But nonetheless here is my photo essay.
Photo tour around Table Mountain Read More »
Janet and I have spent an amazing, experience-packed week in South Africa’s Western Cape. The wine itinerary has been excellently organised by Wines of South Africa. On some days we have already visited two estates by 10.30 in the morning. Other visits have been to bodies like the Chenin Blanc Association, the Stellenbosch University wine
A week of wine in the Western Cape Read More »
South Africa’s Western Cape is famously beautiful and photogenic. Here are a few photos of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Hopefully, they convey something of this remarkable place. Return to South Africa homepageÂ
Western cape photos Read More »
On Sunday I arrived in South Africa to do a 10-day research trip for the WSET, a fantastic opportunity to see the South African wine revolution at first hand. The trip has been organised and in part supported by the Wines of South Africa. This is the national body which promotes the wines, funded by a
A Chenin Blanc welcome Read More »
We are all used now to days which celebrate or draw our attention to something important or special. Apparently this is National School Meals awareness week and Men’s health awareness month. (Are men that stupid that they need a whole month to get to grips with things that might trouble them – well, probably.) But
In November 2007 Janet and I set up Andover Wine Friends with our very first public tasting at The Lights, Andover. Five years on we had a happy party at which members all brought a bottle to share. For our tenth, we held a dinner for 26 in our house and a tasting on the
Andover Wine Friends 10th anniversary tasting and dinner Read More »
The two stars of last night’s Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé tasting: Dagueneau 2007 and Cotat 2004: opulent and taut respectively.
