Buying decisions from trend setting trade and The Buyer tastings
With the newly created Occitanie region now claiming to be the largest wine region in France, Chris Wilson was disappointed at the latest London annual tasting that Sud de France didn’t use the opportunity to explain more about what the change means for the UK trade, especially when 25% of wines from the region are exported to Britain. Curiously, the majority of wineries were also looking for UK distribution.
Philip Hunter taste-tests the three single grain whiskies that form the new blend Chita, which has just had its UK debut. He drinks it a number of ways and ends up rather taking to it, even though his initial reaction was to have a problem with the musky phenolics.
Anne Krebiehl MW looks at the evolution and revolution of New Zealand wine through twelve wines that are chosen by Nigel Greening from Felton Road and Tim Finn from Neudorf Vineyards – both members of the Family of Twelve. She hears why Greening loathes the term masterclass, what the rules are for joining these twelve elite wineries and why the Maori term Turangawaewae is the most appropriate word for a terroir in New Zealand winemaking.
It could all have gone so wrong. Our roving editor-at-large Roger Jones takes his son and 18 friends to Prague for a significant birthday. Instead of wearing bunny ears and downing flaming shots, Roger starts discovering Czech wines with varietals and winemaking methods he is unfamiliar with. And likes them very much.
The annual portfolio tasting held by Fields, Morris & Verdin, the 20th anniversary celebration tasting held by Liberty Wines and an Iberian showcase held by Enotria & Coe were chock-full of the world’s top winemakers showing off the most amazing wines. All events were also teeming with influential wine buyers.
At the annual Beaujolais tasting in London, a first chance to get a taste of the new 2016 vintage, Chris Wilson discovers how much the winemaking styles are changing. Where this used to be from vintage to vintage and Cru to Cru he finds that an immense range of styles within each Cru is becoming the norm.
This week’s Mâcon and Villages pop-up tasting and dinner event in London proved once again just how consistent and reliable this key southern region of the Bourgogne is. Wines that also fit seamlessly in to the demand for fresher, lighter, more refreshing wines, but still with the acidity and texture for ageing and complexity. Richard Siddle joined leading sommeliers, on-trade buyers and independents as the Mâconnais were there in force to put their wines up against ambitious Indian cuisine at the Carousel pop-up dining concept.
Justin Keay tastes his way around the new Italian wine event in London called Il Collettivo, and finds that its success was down to having a mix of rare and unusual regions and varietals on show, plus an impressive range of exciting new winemaking talent.
What is New Wave Champagne? Tim Hall, Champagne aficionado, ambassador, importer and writer tried to tackle this question with a stellar tasting at London’s 67 Pall Mall private members club on Tuesday, June 6. Anne Krebiehl MW had a ‘dream ticket’ to this tasting and picks out her favourites from the tasting, as well as not using the term Grower Champagne (well not within earshot of Tim Hall that is).
Roger Jones, our Michelin-starred chef and self-confessed New World Pinot Noir fan, hosts a range tasting of Larry McKenna’s Escarpment winery at the Harrow at Little Bedwyn. McKenna works with the grapes to develop distinctively superior wines that are true to character, quality and vintage and has a rare skill of being able to balance whole bunch pressing with the delicacy of the fruit.
