Author Archives: dccrossley

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About dccrossley

Writing here and elsewhere mainly about the outer reaches of the wine universe and the availability of wonderful, characterful, wines from all over the globe. Very wide interests but a soft spot for Jura, Austria and Champagne, with a general preference for low intervention in vineyard and winery. Other passions include music (equally wide tastes) and travel. Co-organiser of the Oddities wine lunches.

Blank Bottle at Butler’s

I don’t often write about a single wine producer unless I’ve visited them, or at least met the producer at a wine event. I’ve known and enjoyed the wines made in South Africa by Pieter Walser, imported into the UK … Continue reading

Posted in Own Label Wines, South African Wines, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants, Wine Shops | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Heuriger, Heurigen, Buschenschanks and Popups: A Walk in the Woods and Vines

Vienna now ranks alongside cities like London, Paris and Berlin for adventurous winelovers to dine out in, but it is the only city among these to have its own vineyards, which begin literally at the garden fences of its northern … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Austrian Wine, Heurigen, Vienna, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Wieninger, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Bars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Wieninger and Wiener Wein

It is no secret that I have a disproportionate passion for Wiener Gemischter Satz, compared that is to most sane wine obsessives. It’s not just the flavours, nor an interest in field blends in general. Once you’ve seen these unique, … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Austrian Wine, biodynamic wine, Heurigen, Vienna, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Wieninger, Wine, Wine Tastings, Wine Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sisters Are Doin’ It at Weingut Renner

Our trip to visit Rennersistas at Gols began very early with a forty-five minute train ride from Vienna Hauptbahnhof to Neusiedl-am-See, and an eleven kilometre cycle into the wind. It made us slightly late and very hot for our 10.30 appointment, but … Continue reading

Posted in Artisan Wines, Austria, Austrian Wine, Natural Wine, Neusiedlersee, Vienna, Wine, Wine Tastings, Wine Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aligoté

Some years ago now I attended a “bring your own bottles” Burgundy Lunch, and was seated on a table with some genuine experts in the region’s wines. The red I took was a safe bet because I’d sourced it from … Continue reading

Posted in Aligoté, Artisan Wines, Burgundy, Grape Varieties, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Amber Revolution by Simon J Woolf

Every so often the near desert that is wine publishing comes up with something welcome and really interesting. Wink Lorch’s Jura Wine and John Szabo’s Volcanic Wines come to mind. Simon Woolf’s Amber Revolution fits firmly in that category, and has generated … Continue reading

Posted in Artisan Wines, Natural Wine, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Wine, Wine Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Volcanic Wines – Foxlow (24 July)

Volcanic wines, by which we obviously mean wine made from vines grown directly on volcanic soils (or, in some cases, pretty much bare rock), have been a talking point for a few years. When John Szabo MS wrote his wonderful … Continue reading

Posted in Artisan Wines, Sicily, Volcanic Wines, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New at Newcomer

I read recently, under the Decanter Magazine headline “Bordeaux becalmed”, that for the first time since Sotheby’s started selling wine in 1970 Bordeaux has dipped below 50% in sales. The decline in popularity of this once king of the wine … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Austrian Wine, Natural Wine, Neusiedlersee, Sparkling Wine, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants, Wine Shops | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Recent Wines (June/July 2018) #theglouthatbindsus

Philippe Alliet is a mercurial vigneron who makes Chinon east of the town, in the back streets of Cravant-les-Côteaux. He is best known for his single vineyard Côteau de Noiré, but Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008 comes from Cabernet Franc vines over fifty … Continue reading

Posted in Alsace, Artisan Wines, Austrian Wine, Beaujolais, Champagne, Cider, English Cider, Loire, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recent Wines (May 2018) #theglouthatbindsus

I’m getting behind (as usual) with this “recent wines” malarkey, so I’m going to split May and June into two more digestible bites – eight wines from May today and then eight wines from June next week. PN17, Tillingham Vineyard, … Continue reading

Posted in Czech Wine, English Wine, Jura, Natural Wine, Spanish Wine, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments