Blind tasting line-up – with a few interlopers (shop samples) Ah, the monthly challenge of blind tasting … can you tell your Chardonnay from your Chenin, your Syrah from your Sangiovese? This month there were a couple of easy numbers, some real surprises and some that were completely off the wall. It all makes for
After the excitements of the Lea & Sandeman tasting (see previous post), more of the biggest names in Italian wine were on show at Armit’s ‘Blooming Lovely’ Spring tasting. Certainly, they had the day for it, London being bathed in brilliant northern sunshine with temperatures higher than currently in Tuscany or even Southern Italy –
Sorì Tildìn among the Italian icons Read More »
Some wine tastings are large and very mixed in quality: the fun is keeping your wits about you enough to find the best or the interesting in the midst of the ordinary. Put a lot of wines in a small room and event might buzz – but it’s difficult to concentrate or even reach the
Five top Italians … and a bonus Read More »
The launch of the 2006 vintage of Brunello has been mildly controversial. This special wine is made from the particular type of Sangiovese grape variety grown on the Montalcino plateau in southern Tuscany; the resulting wine is released for sale after five years, at least two of which have to be in oak. The launch
Frescobaldi’s 2006 Brunello Read More »
Many trade tastings are rather orderly affairs with a bit of elbow room, an atmosphere in which you can talk to producers or suppliers and often rather good catering thrown in. Some are in very fine settings with a lot of attention being paid to the whole environment. After all – let’s be straightforward about
For much of human history, wine was sweet. Winemakers didn’t have the knowledge to get wines to ferment out completely and so inevitably the result was sweet. And anyway, people like sweet things and, it could be said, some sweetness can cover up a number of faults. In the last twenty years, fashion has dictated
Some wine occasions really stand out. Obviously you need top quality wines or, at least, wines of exceptional interest. Hopefully, there is really good food to go with it. And you certainly want congenial, knowledgeable and appreciative company. Saturday night’s dinner more than met all these criteria. People had clearly searched their cellars for precious
One table at Grape Expectations Christmas Wine fair really stood out for me. This wasn’t just because it was Italian but because it featured wines mainly from one region, Puglia, usually known as the heel of Italy. It’s always a bonus to be able to compare local styles side by side and to taste less
Puglia comes to Hampshire Read More »
Grape Expectations’ Christmas Fair had to be rescheduled because of very wintery conditions back on 2nd December but the line up duly appeared at The Lights Theatre, Andover, on Monday 13th. It became the event for what would have been Andover Wine Friends’ regular monthly tasting – the new date was a happy accident and
Grape Expectations: 10 wines to try this Christmas Read More »
La Parrina is a unique Tuscan wine estate near the border with Lazio. In general, terms is it on the Southern Tuscan coast now chiefly famous as a holiday destination. Each year millions of tourists, principally Italians, flock to enjoy the Italian seaside experience of closely packed togetherness on the beaches, in the restaurants, at
La Parrina – last stop in Tuscany Read More »