Latest Blog Posts

Appreciate Appassimento

There are plenty of labels and terms on wine lables, here we discover the term appassimento, what it means and what it does to the wine. We also look at a fantastic wine estate that are using this method with wonderful results. 

Cuvee Chérie: a refined, contemporary Demi-Sec from Nyetimber

This press release has been released from Nyetimber about the new release of the Cuvee Chérie to its range of award winning wines. Discover what they have to say.

Are Low Alcohol Wines The Future?

This is an interesting one. I have read and listened to a number of arguments about why this will be the future of wine and here is my take on it all.

A Wine to go with Brexit

That's right, it's the B word, Brexit. Here is our take on the initial impacts of brexit on the wine trade.

Does the year matter?

I am often asked what role the vintage, the year the wine is made, plays on the end result. With the changes in climate and the subsequent droughts, fires and unseasonal hail storms, winemakers are having to adapt. Recently I have seen winemakers adopt new approaches to winemaking to help solve some of the issues they have in form of non-vintage wines. I delve into what this means and how this might change the way we look at wines.

The Great Organic Debate

Wine by its nature is organic, however, there are various approaches adopted by wine-makers and growers which are can be classed as sustainable. We classify our products in three areas - Minimal Intervention - Organic - Biodynamic.  Here I discuss the approach to wine making.

A Guide to Vegan Wine

The start of 2019 brought with it new year’s resolutions and with it over 250,000 people signing up to “Veganuary”, a campaign where people go vegan for a month. The number of vegans in the UK reached 3.5 million last year and we have found that more and more people are asking for vegan wines. Previously, it has been assumed that all wine is vegan friendly, however, this is not the case. As people become more aware of this, the demand for vegan wines has increased.

Passing From Generation to Generation

Many of the estates and farms I have visited have been passed from generation to generation. However there are some enthusiastic people who have been attracted to an area for whatever reason mainly because of location and climate and have become hooked by the wine making bug!

Insights to Banfi Estate

Eilidh shares her insights on Tuscan wines after a recent trip to Banfi Wine Estate. 

Tuscany (or Toscana to the Italians) is quite possibly the most archetypal Italian region. With rolling hills, bright blue skies, small hilltop villages with dusty side roads, centuries-old farmhouses and olive groves you could be forgiven for thinking you have just walked onto the set of Gladiator. What is most overwhelming, however, is the vast number of vineyards covering the area. Spanning from the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west to the low mountains near Emilia-Romagna in the east, it is difficult not to be charmed by the patchwork of vineyards in this area. Much of the more esteemed vineyards are located in the middle, near Florence in the north and Sienna in the south. To get to these goldmines, however, requires a stomach of steel as there doesn’t seem to be a straight road in sight as you wind through the beautiful Tuscan countryside (if you suffer from car sickness, you have been warned)!

Pressing Matter, How Many Grapes Make a Bottle of Wine?

How many grapes are in a bottle of wine?

2017, One Tough Global Vintage

What a year 2017 was. Here we look at the highs and lows of the 2017 vintage from around the world, is this a one off or is 2017 an example of what we can expect in the future.

Wine Fraud

There are always many challenges facing the drinks trade but it may surprise you to learn that counterfeiting and fraud are amongst the most serious. With more and more examples of wine fraud cropping up we have written up how to avoid wine fraud and some of the signs to look out for. 

Wines to go with Socks

Socks and wine may appear to have nothing in common but there are more similarities than you think. Here is Philip discussing Nick Turner's fantastic sock collection. 

Adventures in Pudding

Pete tells all on his recent tasting at the Pudding Pantry. If you are wanting to know what dessert wines go with which desserts then have a read of Pete's latest blog. 

Grape Expectations, is the choice of grape important?

It goes without saying that the grape is the most important component of wine. The definition of a grape is a berry of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis, of which there are 79 accepted species. The species which is responsible for the vast majority of wine production is Vitis vinifera, of which there are between 7,000 and 10,000 varieties. There is another species, Vitis riparia, which plays an important supporting role, but more about that later.

Easter Food and Wine Matching

With Easter fast approching, we thought we would offer up our top picks for wines over the Easter weekend. 

Introduction to Gin Tasting

Gin Tasting

Sparkling Wines For 2017

It's not all just Champagne and Prosecco. Here are sparkling wines to look out for in 2017.