Tasting Wine

You are currently browsing the archive for the Tasting Wine category.

A carnivorous Charles Smith

A lot of winemakers don’t care for the limelight, they prefer the quiet of the vineyards, and the idea of  global travel to tell the world about their wines makes them queasy.

Not so for Charles Smith! He has impossibly huge hair, a swagger that could only come from years of managing rock bands and is a no-holds-barred kinda guy. This was going to be an interesting night!

It was a blustery Monday evening in London, but it felt more like a Friday at the bustling City steakhouse, Hawksmoor.  I’d never been to the restaurant, but had heard great things so was very glad to check it out and thought it a fitting location to host a dinner for an American winemaker (we love our steakhouses!)

Charles Smith, winemaker of K Vintners is turning heads in Washington State (not just because of his wild, unkempt locks) with his range of wines from Read the rest of this entry »

Share

Tags: , , , , , ,

Twitter

How many fingers and thumbs does it take to hold and swirl a wine glass while sending a tweet? As I found out recently, it’s a lot harder than it sounds! Many of us in the wine world like to share our wine experiences via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc (as this shameless self-promoting link to my first wine video proves!) and usually we do so surreptitiously while trying not to appear rude. However, the other week I attended a tasting where not only was tweeting not considered rude, it was required!

Wine Communicators of Australia recently hosted a ‘Tweet Up’ Read the rest of this entry »

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 »

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Chile vs Spain: Rosé

Ahhh Summer! It’s a particularly sunny, warm day here in London Town (which alone warrants celebration!) and so is ideal for today’s fifth round of Wines of the World Cup as we have a match-up of Rosé: Chile vs Spain!

Now in that other popular World Cup series (you know, the one in South Africa :-) ) the actual match between Spain and Chile doesn’t take place until June 25, but when it comes to wine, any day will do, and especially one like today as sun and rosé are the perfect team! Read the rest of this entry »

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I love meeting winemakers.  What passionate people they are!  No matter if they are shy farmers who prefer the company of the vines to people, or gregarious showmen, they know their wines like no-one else and their stories are always fascinating! But Randall Grahm, winemaker of Bonny Doon in California, is unlike any other I’ve met before – the perfect blend of passion, humour, smarts and eccentricity.

Known as the “Rhone Ranger”, Grahm, with his greying, frenzied pony tail, revolutionized California winemaking in the 80s when he planted Read the rest of this entry »

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

« Older entries § Newer entries »