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.

The Young Ones? Where are they?

Posted on 07/04/2015 by dccrossley

The cliché may be that policemen are looking younger but I’m not sure that’s the case with Bordeaux drinkers. Nor Burgundy drinkers for that matter. A recent remark on Twitter by Jancis Robinson lamented the fact that there seemed to … Continue reading →

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Oddities (March)

Posted on 30/03/2015 by dccrossley

The latest gathering for lovers of the odd and obscure in wine took place at Rochelle Canteen last Friday, and generally we all felt that these lunches get better and better. As usual, the food was stunningly good and the … Continue reading →

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It was the best of times, the worst of wines…

Posted on 26/03/2015 by dccrossley

We all make lists of the best wines we’ve drunk, I guess, and it seems a little mean to talk about the worst wines we’ve drunk. But then it has to be said that not since the dark days of … Continue reading →

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The Silence of the (Wine-Dark) Sea?

Posted on 27/02/2015 by dccrossley

This odd, if not enigmatic, title channels Vercors’ wartime novel of resistance through Homer and Patrick O’Brian’s sixteenth Aubrey-Maturin novel, and I suppose in a round about, and obtuse, way it sums up the silence of this blog for the … Continue reading →

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Old Man (Take a Look at my Life)

Posted on 17/02/2015 by dccrossley

A vigorous discussion in another place a couple of weeks ago asked whether a former well known advocate for a particular wine region was keeping on top of all the new things happening there. I don’t wish to bring that … Continue reading →

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Portland

Posted on 12/02/2015 by dccrossley

My first job after university was up between Oxford Circus and Regent’s Park, an area not known at that time, at least to me, as a haven for fine dining. Late last year I returned to Great Portland Street for … Continue reading →

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Bordeaux Part Two

Posted on 10/02/2015 by dccrossley

You have to feel sorry for your average wine writer, shipped around the world by wine bodies or smart producers. They may not earn a fortune, but the abundant hospitality that is wine will challenge their waistlines and livers, and … Continue reading →

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Bored-No! – Bordeaux Part One

Posted on 09/02/2015 by dccrossley

It is years since I’ve set foot in the Bordeaux Region, and what was once a weekly staple has become a rarer beast at table here. But there’s no reason why there should not be room for a little more … Continue reading →

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What, More Switzerland?

Posted on 01/02/2015 by dccrossley

Jancis devoted her FT Column this week to Swiss wine. Much of it covered the native Fendant grape variety (aka Chasselas), and it didn’t seem she was too fond-ant (ouch!) of it, despite an otherwise very positive article. Fendant is … Continue reading →

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Winter Oddities

Posted on 30/01/2015 by dccrossley

The pleasure to be had in a fine wine lunch, say a selection of a dozen fine Bordeaux or Burgundy accompanied with fine Michelin cuisine is undeniable. It therefore seems churlish to say that occasionally some superb wines get lost … Continue reading →

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