Back in February 2020, just before the world started locking down due to Covid-19, I enjoyed an eye-opening trip round Chilean wine country. These trips are always eye-opening. Chilean wine is a scene seemingly stuck on fast-forward, such is the pace of change and novelty. And...
Is Syrah the Cinderella of South American wine? That's the question I ask at the start of this piece, noting how often Syrah is overlooked in favour of more glamorous rivals (Cabernet, Malbec, Tannat etc). But it's a shame because Syrah has huge potential in South America,...
I don't know about you, but one of our greatest pleasures is discovering a wine that's packed full of flavour - but under-delivers on alcohol. And even better if it's reasonably priced. Quite simply, it means we can drink more without falling off our chair or,...
If you think you know Chilean wine, think again. Chile is a wine nation transformed. This is a piece I wrote for The Wine Society. They have a long and venerable tradition of publishing notable wine writers for their members' newsletters and magazines, and now also...
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...
According to the US parenting website BabyCenter, the girl’s name Chardonnay (with connotations of ‘popularity’) saw its usage peak in the 1990s, at 47 babies per million. Its frequency has declined since, to the point where Parents.com ranked it as the fourth worst baby name...
Did you know that the winners of the FA Cup, one of Britain's biggest sporting events, now celebrate (and dutifully spray each other) with non alcoholic sparkling 'wine' rather than champagne? It's a small detail, a pub quiz oddity if you like, but it made headlines...
Wine's brilliant. So selling it must be easy, right? Wrong. It's a crowded market. Brexit hasn't helped. Consumer confidence is low, we have a fluctuating currency and a punitive tax regime. On top of all this, people are drinking ever less. All this means we need our best...
'We believe English still wines have the potential to challenge Burgundy.' Let's consider that statement for a moment. Yes, it's hardly disinterested because it was said by an English wine grower (Ruth Simpson of Simpsons Wine Estate in Kent). And yet the Simpsons also make wine in...
'If there's one thing that gets wine lovers hot under the collar, it's great Pinot Noir. As for the Holy Grail - well, that's great Pinot Noir at a bargain price.' This Decanter panel tasting revealed exactly that - some outstanding Pinot Noir from Chile at...