Pasión de Bobal Rosado – Last of the Summer Wine The late August Bank Holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is held on the last Monday of the August. It represents the last gasp of the Summer holidays*. After this comes the Great Return; whether to work, to college or school. Who hasn’t had cause to dread that dreary prospect? And …
Pedro Ximénez: Discover the Joy of PX
Pedro Ximénez: Discover the Joy of PX Pedro Ximénez (PX) is both a Spanish white grape variety and a particular style of super-sweet dessert wine. PX (the grape) is grown in many Spanish regions and occasionally elsewhere. However, the most outstanding examples of PX (the wine) are arguably from the inland Andalusian wine region of Montilla-Moriles DO. It’s some 45 …
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Colet Navazos Extra Brut, original and brilliant fizz
Colet Navazos Extra Brut, original and brilliant fizz Regular readers will know of my love of Sparkling wine and Sherry. They are two unique wine styles with entirely different origins. Two methods defined by their complicated production and maturation processes. They couldn’t be more different from one another. Poles apart, you might say. But what if someone was bonkers enough …
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Pla de Bages and its unique heritage
Pla de Bages and its unique heritage These days, Pla de Bages is a rather obscure Spanish wine region in the heart of Catalonia, Spain. Yet winegrowing has been here since Roman times, and the word Bages comes from Bacchus, the Roman God of wine. North-west of Barçelona, this fascinating region occupies the valleys of two rivers, the Llobregat and …
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WOTY 2019: Llopart Original 1887
WOTY 2019: Llopart Original 1887 Being January 1st 2020, it’s time for the Wine of the Year 2019. Of course, during 2019 there were some outstanding candidates. Each one brought great pleasure and taught something new. But the moment I tasted this Espumosos (sparkling wine) at Llopart in Catalonia, I was convinced it would be WOTY 2019. However, a visit to …
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Altanza Rioja – Rioja Crianza and Reserva
Altanza – Rioja Crianza and Reserva Bodegas Altanza makes fine examples of Rioja made in the modern style. Huge investment in winegrowing is now producing wines that highlight fresh fruit flavours rather than the traditional oak-dominant wines of yore. Neither style is necessarily better, but as a wine drinker, it’s great to have the choice. Altanza is a relatively young company, established …
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Llopart – fine bubbles from Catalonia
Llopart – fine bubbles from Catalonia The Llopart winery in Catalonia is just 40 minutes away from the bars and cafés of Barçelona. This is the heart of sunny Penedès, an ancient and thriving wine region. Here, the still wines made under the Penedès DO co-exist with sparkling wines all made, (until recently), under the famous name of Cava. While …
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Christmas 2019 – a dozen wines to check out!
Christmas 2019 – a dozen wines to check out! Happy Christmas to you all, and here’s my pick of the wines for Chrismas 2019. Here’s my Christmas Card as well. It’s the skating rink at the Christmas Market held in Bruges, Belgium. Anyway, here are a delightful dozen wines for the festive season that are all available in the UK. …
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Rebel.lia, Bodegas Vegalfaro 2017
Rebel.lia, Bodegas Vegalfaro 2017 At the recent Wines of Spain tasting, their annual show in London, there were many excellent wines of every description. However, my Wine of the Show was Rebel.lia. It’s from the excellent Bodegas Vegalfaro, in the heart of the DOP Utiel-Requena region of Spain, inland from València. Regular readers of these pages will know of my love …
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Why not try these compelling vegan wines? Ten to get you started
Why not try these ten compelling vegan wines? Well, I promised some compelling vegan wines after my recent article called Vegan wines are not just for vegans. Consequently, and without further ado, here are ten vegan wines to explore. From a range of UK stockists, all are superb examples. White Fasoli Gino, Pieve Vecchia 2014, DOC Soave, Veneto, Italy A stylish, …
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