Wine Classes at WSET – the Expert’s Choice I’ve always been slightly in awe of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET global). It’s the largest global provider of wine and spirits qualifications offering beginner to expert courses in wine, spirits and sake through Approved Programme Providers across the world for enthusiasts and professionals. All […]
Discovering Burgundy with Honest Grapes
Learning about the Wines of Burgundy – Honest Grapes: A while ago I was invited along to a sherry tasting event by the Honest Grapes team. Not only did I come away with a bottle of rather good sherry but I also invested in a monthly subscription to the Honest Grapes Premier Crew – so […]
Wines of Wallonia, Belgium
The Smallest Wine Producing Country in the World, Wallonia, Belgium: The story of modern Belgium Wine production starts in France. And, in the UK and Germany too. Our first stop on the wine and gastronomy tour of Wallonia was at the vineyards of the charming and effervescent 80-year old who is, perhaps, at the heart […]
Three unique hotels to visit – North Portugal and the Douro
Three Wine Themed Douro Hotels Exploring the wines of the Douro Valley in Portugal should be on the wish list for all wine lovers. And, there are a number of wonderful options if you want to experience the wine harvest in Northern Portugal for yourself. We’ve picked three of the best hotels for you and […]
Chablis – The new black?
More Chabbers dahling? Referred to as ‘the little black dress of Chardonnay’ by the president of the Chablis Commission of the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne, Jean Francois Bordet, Chablis has been “paired” with British fashion designers to highlight the fashionable status of the region’s wines. For someone like myself who loves both fashion […]
Organic Wines Review and Giveaway
Summer Sizzlers from The Organic Wine Club: We’re finally having something approaching proper summer weather so it seemed like a great moment to review these three summer sizzlers from the Organic Wine Club. Wines are organic when no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilisers or anything genetically modified have been used in the grape cultivation. […]
A trip to the Bourgogne Secret South (and then Gatwick!)
Wine tasting on a Monday night; what could possibly go wrong? I’ve long been a fan of a Cremant de Bourgogne as an alternative to Champagne, but haven’t really had the opportunity to explore wines under the AOC Macon appellation. Bourgogne has five wine producing regions, but it was the latter that we were to […]
Romanian Wine from Cramele Recas
The Wines of Romania – Cramele Recas: The Cramele Recas Vineyard and Winery Centre is 20km from Timisoara. Situated on top of a hill, the gentle slopes offer beautiful views across the valleys. The vineyard is open to visitors throughout the year and is well worth exploring This region of Timisoara has been known for […]
Romania, New Year, New Wines
Wine Tourism and More in Romania: Most people know little about Romania, other than that it includes Transylvania, the home of Dracula. That’s despite the fact that Prince Charles first visited Romania in 1998 and has returned many times. Romania remains an undiscovered land. So while my visit was ostensibly for the wines, I took […]
Vinoa – Wine to Sample and Savour
Vinoa – a new way to buy wine: Just when you think that every possible way of buying wine had been explored, along comes Vinoa. Perfect for a small household or for people like me who enjoy matching their wines to what they are eating, Vinoa offers fine wine in glass sized quantities. Unlike the small […]