What to do with your old wine barrel?
Sustainability comes to old barrels – re-use, recycle
Concours Mondial 2012
More than 300 of the great, the good, the glamorous and the grubby, from 48 different countries, gathered in the Portuguese medieval town of Guimarães last month, for three days, to judge some 8,400 wines and spirits as part of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Me included.
Caviste revisited
Caviste changed hands earlier this year, and its new managing director is Ben Llewelyn, invited me to their Overton shop for a tasting.
Should Brunello di Montalcino change its rules?
Among the crowd of sangiovese-based Tuscan wines, Montalcino stands out like a beacon of pure sangiovese, challenging yes, but inspiring also in its purity of expression. There are moves afoot to change the rules to allow the ubiquitous cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah into the blend which would ‘internationalise’ the style, and arguably make Montalcino wines indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd.
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2010
The 17th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition judged nearly 7,000 wines from more than 50 countries. Here are the competition’s top-scorers, and some of my own top-scorers with their medal-awards.
Storing wine: issues and options
The briefest of internet searches about wine storage yields a plethora of possibilities for almost any shape and size of space you may have available to mature your favourite bottles of wine.
Minimum pricing
Minimum pricing would affect all consumers of alcoholic drinks, including responsible ones. Government-funded research found those heaviest drinkers, most in need of help, are likely to be least influenced by rising prices.
Australia’s First Families of Wine
Twelve long-standing, family-owned, Australian wine producing companies plan to create a new image for Australian wine with a regional flavour.
The Wine Society
The Wine Society is something of a retail institution that runs under many people’s radar. It shouldn’t. Anyone who enjoys wine can join the club, and there are no arcane entry rituals.
Thai food with wine
Thai food offers several challenges for the discerning gastronome. Should wines appeal to the theme and mood of the meal rather than with one or two dishes?
