World Malbec Day

As recently as the turn of the century the word “Malbec” would hardly have registered with British wine drinkers. The last decade however has seen a big change and today wines made from Malbec are among the most popular with UK consumers. As we approach World Malbec Day (on the 17th April)  I thought now would be a good time to explore the grape in a bit more detail.  A Bit of History Malbec’s vinous roots lie in France,…

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Battle of the Sauvignon Blancs!

I have always had a soft spot for New Zealand and its wine, and it was a vinous experience way back in the 1990s that proved to be my epiphany – getting me interested in wine in general and New Zealand wines in particular.  A love affair that remains to this day. I tried a wine that was so different from anything I had tasted before – it quite literally grabbed me by the throat with its pungent intensity. …

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Wines for Easter

With Easter coming up this weekend, I thought it might be interesting to put together a few recommendations of wines that make a great match for the Easter Sunday roast as well as a few ideas for what you could pair with your chocolate eggs, yes that is right you can get wine that pairs well with chocolate!First up though the Sunday roastTraditionally on Easter Sunday the roasting joint of choice tends to be lamb.  A lot will depend…

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Indigenous Grapes

It struck me that I have talked quite a lot through any number of blog posts about ‘indigenous’ varieties, so I thought now would be a good time to do a bit of a deep dive into the subject – especially as my next wine club case will have as its theme…yes you’ve guessed it…. ‘indigenous’ grapes. Why? Because there are so many fabulous wines being made from grapes most of us are unfamiliar with or perhaps have never even…

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Riesling – Misunderstood and much maligned!

As regular readers of my blogs know, I am a big Riesling fan, and if pushed to pick my favourite white grape variety, Riesling would be right up there at #1. Yet retail sales of Riesling continue to lag way behind other varieties here in the UK and it doesn’t come close to breaking into the top 10 most popular grape varieties. Why might you ask? I think there are a number of reasons:I blame the 1980s… It’s probably…

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