F Scott Fitzgerald conjugated the word Cocktail F Scott Fitzgerald is best known for writing The Great Gatsby and Tender Is The Night, those magnificent novels of glamour, decadence and tragedy. He wrote other novels, short stories and letters. Meanwhile, his notes and lists collected ideas and impressions, ranging from the profound to the banal, including a list of thirteen ways …
Stephane Derenoncourt and St. Emilion
Stéphane Derenoncourt and St. Émilion I don’t often write about serious Bordeaux reds. Not because I have an aversion to them, it’s more because I don’t get involved in the en primeur or auction/investment scenes. I prefer to drink my wines! Also, top Bordeaux Cru like St. Émilion commands prices ranging from expensive to stratospheric. However, looking back through my St. …
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Silly Tasting Notes and Neuroenology
Silly Tasting Notes and Neuroenology It might seem obvious, but the taste of wine occurs in the Human brain. Indeed, there is a good deal of scientific research that’s gradually revealing how this works. A terrific book called Neuroenology, by Gordon M. Shepherd, explains this in detail. So why also include the Silly Tasting Notes in this article? Well, once the taste …
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Asolare: drinking Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Pt.2)
Asolare: drinking Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Pt.2) Part 1 introduced the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, setting it in a cultural context and describing its relationship with the larger Prosecco DOC and the neighbouring Prosecco DOCG of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. Now Part 2 features a dozen recommendations for Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG. In style, these range from bone-dry to sweet, each with food matching …
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Asolo: Prosecco with a sense of place (Pt.1)
Asolo: Prosecco with a sense of place (Pt.1) On a clear day in Venice, take a moment and look inland to north-north-west. On the horizon, shimmering in a lagoon haze, are a range of hills forming the first outliers of the alps, some 60 km distant across the pancake-flat land of the pianura. Here lies the town of Asolo; perched on …
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2019 AWEsome Wines – Free Download
2019 AWEsome Wines – Free Download Hot off the Press! The latest 2019 edition of 100 AWEsome Wines from the Association of Wine Educators (AWE) is out now. It’s brand new, now in its 5th year, and it’s free! What’s the catch? There isn’t one. We’re wine educators, so it’s what we do. AWE members are professionals that taste and teach wine …
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Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers
Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers When you think of Pinot Noir, the chances are that you won’t be thinking about Italy. Of course, Italy has its own great native red grape varieties, while the spiritual home of Pinot Noir is in Burgundy. However, in Lombardy, Conte Vistarino has long been a Pinot Pioneer. Pinot Nero In Italy, Pinot Noir is …
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Cocktail: the no-alcohol cocktail with a secret sauce
Cocktail: The no-alcohol cocktail with a secret sauce Welcome to Dry January. An increasingly popular post-festive exercise for many, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me for not joining in. I’m a strong supporter of Responsible Drinking. However, I don’t want to endure a month of abstinence to try and compensate for over-indulgence. Instead, I prefer to stay dry on weekdays permanently, …
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Tabarrini Adarmando, Bianco dell’Umbria IGT. WOTY 2018
Tabarrini Adarmando. Bianco dell’ Umbria IGT. WOTY 2018 WOTY? It stands for Wine of the Year of course! In 2018 I encountered many outstanding wines, seemingly in every colour and style. Each brought great pleasure, and the best often taught me something new. However, in selecting from all these, there can only ever be one WOTY 2018. This year it’s an …
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