England Beyond Bubbles

We all, by now, know that England makes very good (occasionally great) sparkling wine. And that's all well and good. But what's potentially even more exciting is the emergence of world-class English still wines - particularly those made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Burgundy lovers (ie most...

Mastering Christmas

Festive. What does that word mean to you? For some, it elicits a buzz of intense excitement. For others, it sends a chill down the spine. The majority will be somewhere in between – or both at the same time. And that includes us. Particularly this year. In...

Banks Brothers Chardonnay No 3

Banks Brothers Chardonnay No.3, 13%, Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa (13%) (£21 for three 250ml cans) We've been trying a fair few wines in so-called alternative formats recently. Including cans - like this one. And this is, without doubt, the best wine we've ever tried out of a can. It's very...

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet 2016

Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13.5% (£47, Stannary Wine) One of the five founding wineries of the Margaret River region back in the early 1970s, Leeuwin estate has built an enviable reputation as one of Western Australia’s leading lights. In a region famed...

Hacienda San Juan Pinot Noir 2015

Hacienda San Juan Pinot Noir 2015, San Antonio, Chile, 13.5%  ($34, Vinos del Rey (Miami) and Crescent Inc (NY)) Freshness. Elegance. Complexity. That's what the best wines from San Antonio can give you. This coastal region is a relative newcomer in Chilean wine terms but right from the...

Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2018

Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2018, Waipara, New Zealand 13.5%  (£26.50, North and South Wines, Saxtys Wines, Must Wines, The Wine Reserve) February has proved a bleak month for those in lockdown in the UK but it was brightened somewhat by New Zealand Winegrowers holding its first ever...

Aristargos 2018

David & Nadia Aristargos 2018, Swartland, South Africa, 13.5%,  (£25, Justerini & Brooks) We cracked open this voluptuous but energising white to mark South Africa’s Heritage Day (24th Sept). You can see a short vid we filmed for the occasion, as below. Many wine industries around the world...

Our desert island wines

So what would YOU go for if you had to choose three desert island wines? It's the question every true wine lover fears. Yet we gamely took it on in the name of entertainment...