France

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ChablisChardonnay – from the opulent wine of Montrachet to the over-oaked monsters that sparked the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) trend, this grape can do it all. No wonder so many winemakers work with it as it is so versatile and can be manipulated into a huge variety of styles.

However if you’re looking for classic Chardonnay, there is really only one place to go – Burgundy of course! Your first thoughts may be of sublime riches from the Côtes de Beaune or perhaps the poise of Pouilly Fuissé, but for me, Chablis embodies the timeless sophistication of the very best of Chardonnay. Read the rest of this entry »

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The group of ARSEs!

On a recent Sunday in Central London a gathering of an unusual kind took place. Well, the gathering itself wasn’t strange, it was a group of wine bloggers, but the impetus that brought us together was a secret – literally! Andrew Barrow, author of the blog Spittoon, contacted us through Twitter to invite us to ‘Andrew’s Really Secret Event’ for which he used the acronymic and comically jeuvenile hashtag: #ARSE.

Andrew revealed the location of our meeting place, but intriguingly mentioned that we would then be moving on to another even more top secret destination for a tasting (for which we all brought our own secret bottle).  None of us had any idea which other #ARSEs would be joining in, but as we met for a bite to eat and of course, the requisite bottle (or few!) of wine, the secrets began to unravel… Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week saw the gathering of many of London’s local wine and food bloggers for the Semi Final of Bibendum’s World Cup of Wine.

In the previous round we had culled out the riff raff (including USA unfortunately!) and were left with four countries: Italy, France, South Africa and Australia. Now it was the chance for these heavyweights to put on their best show and fight for a coveted spot in the finals. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s most popular grape varieties. It is made in regions all over the world from the classic, elegant styles of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in France’s Loire Valley, to the zippy, racy versions in New Zealand.  But South Africa is quickly becoming a serious contender in the effort to win hearts and palates with their approach to this appealing grape.

Eikendal winemakers

Edward Jonsson (left) and Nico Grobler, winemakers of Eikendal in South Africa

I recently had the opportunity to chat with the Winemaker, Nico Grobler and Assistant Winemaker and Farm Manager, Edward Jonsson of Eikendal, based in Stellenbosch, and asked them how they think the South African Sauvignon Blancs make their mark. Read the rest of this entry »

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In a recent post I wrote about the World Cup of Wine – a wine tasting for bloggers hosted by Bibendum where we tasted and scored wines from countries participating in this Summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa. After the upcoming Semis and Finals, we will crown a winner.

So while the title of this article may sound similar, I am taking a slightly different approach to the topic.  Here’s my plan: Read the rest of this entry »

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