Plaques de Muselets – Every Plaque Tells a Story How many people notice that the wire cage holding the cork firmly onto a bottle of sparkling wine can contain minor works of art? Usually, we’re in a hurry to open a bottle of fizz and often discard the wire cage before we take a closer look at it. This contraption …
Poggio Valente by Fattoria Le Pupille
Poggio Valente by Fattoria Le Pupille Poggio Valente is one of those rare wines where just one glass made me want to visit Fattoria Le Pupille to find out more. So, some years ago I did, and I’ve followed its development from afar ever since. Given this, I can’t quite understand how I’ve not previously written about it. That’s especially …
Rioja Vega tasting at Avanti, Kirkby Lonsdale
Rioja Vega tasting at Avanti, Kirkby Lonsdale Rioja DOCa remains Spain’s most prestigious and well-known wine region. Aged red Rioja is predominant and rightly popular. Indeed, the UK remains Rioja’s largest export market. However, the Rioja region has had a welcome rejuvenation over the past few years, with new wines and styles gaining acclaim. Hence, the opportunity to attend a …
Kotsifali, an old red grape variety from Lyrarakis in Crete
Kotsifali, an old red grape variety from Lyrarakis in Crete Crete is by far the largest Greek Island, measuring roughly 260 km from west to east and 60 km north to south. It has no shortage of ancient native white and red grape varieties. One of those reds is the subject of this article, known as Kotsifali. Like the other …
Wines From Spain 2025. Five Personal Favourites
Wines From Spain 2025. Five Personal Favourites One of the highlights of my wine year is always the annual Wines From Spain trade tasting, which I look forward to for weeks beforehand. That’s not least because they always ensure they visit the north of England in addition to exhibiting in London. This year, the northern leg of Wines From Spain …
Verdeca – Time for a Renaissance
Verdeca – Time for a Renaissance Once upon a time, Verdeca was widely planted in Puglia, its homeland. If Puglia is the boot of Italy, then we are far down at its heel. Verdeca is an autochthonous white grape variety that grows mainly in the central provinces of Bari and Taranto but also further south in Brindisi and Lecce1. Unfortunately, …
Not The Usual Suspects – Alternative Grape Varieties
Not The Usual Suspects – Alternative Grape Varieties Are you tired of Pinot Grigio or cheesed off with Cabernet? Do you find Merlot mundane, or that Sauvignon isn’t your scene? In which case, why not broaden your vinous horizons? But wait – many wines featured on these pages are not these usual suspects. Estimates say that up to 10,000 different …
Bodegas Tobía – Cuvée Blanco Rioja
Bodegas Tobía – Cuvée Blanco Rioja Last year, I tried a glass of Rioja Cuvée Blanco from Bodegas Tobía, a producer then unknown to me. As there are 66,902 hectares of vines and 748 producers in Rioja selling around 325 million bottles annually in many diverse styles, perhaps you’ll forgive me for not knowing all of them.1 Meanwhile, this glass …
For Fine Dining Value, Go Back to College
For Fine Dining Value, Go Back To College Last year, I discovered that my local college in Kendal has an excellent training restaurant as part of its Hospitality and Catering department. And it’s open to the public. Given the hospitality industry’s importance to the UK economy and the need to underpin this with professional training, this should have come as …
Cadgal and Moscato d’Asti DOCG
Cadgal and Moscato d’Asti DOCG Moscato d’Asti DOCG covers a vast area of some 10,000 ha in Piemonte, spreading across the historic regions of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero. It produces and sells about 36 million bottles yearly, 90% of which are exports. That’s a lot of wine, yet it remains less well-known in the UK, dwarfed by the ubiquitous Prosecco1. …