Category Archives: Artisan Wines

Barolo & Barbaresco by David Gleave (Book Review)

I first crossed paths with Toronto native David Gleave in the second half of the 1980s when we made occasional forays to Winecellars in Wandsworth. David was then working with Nick Belfrage, who was already established as one of London’s … Continue reading →

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The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide – Languedoc by Natalie Earl (Review)

I’ve already reviewed four of the Smart Traveller’s Wine Guides published by the Academie du Vin Library. They are another string to the bow of this publisher which has rejuvenated wine publishing since taking over the Infinite Ideas Library. I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Artisan Wines, Languedoc-Roussillon, Restaurants, Vineyard Visits and Tastings, Wine, Wine Bars, Wine Books, Wine Shops, Wine Tourism, Wine Travel, Wine Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recent Wines September 2026 (Part 1) #theglouthatbindsus

Apologies for the tenn day break in writing. I had a nasty virus. For September I shall revert back to two sets of six wines each, less drinking than August but cheaper all round. We still have the usual insane … Continue reading →

Posted in Artisan Wines, Australian Wine, Austrian Wine, Crémant, Languedoc-Roussillon, Natural Wine, Slovakian Wine, South African Wines, Wine, Wine Agencies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ottolenghi Opens in Edinburgh

Ottolenghi does have a couple of restaurants overseas, but they are first and foremost known for their London restaurants, serving food which is fresh, and with a vibe that would be wrong to try to pin down geographically, but which … Continue reading →

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The World Atlas of Wine 9th Edition (Book Review)

If any wine lover were asked to name the most essential wine book they need on their book shelves, or as a part of their wine library, however large or small, I would guess they would say The World Atlas … Continue reading →

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Recent Wines August 2026 (Part 3) #theglouthatbindsus

We finish August’s bumper three editions for the wines we drank at home in the height of summer with seven more varied bottles. We begin with a Stellenbosch Chenin, then move on via another Chablis (a contrast in price to … Continue reading →

Posted in Albanian Wine, Arbois, Artisan Wines, Canary Islands, Chablis, German Wine, Greek Wine, Jura, Natural Wine, South African Wines, Spanish Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recent Wines August 2026 (Part 2) #theglouthatbindsus

The second batch of wines we drank at home through August is an altogether different selection from those in Part 1. Whereas there we had several Austrian and Czech wines, here we are leading from the top with a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Aosta, Artisan Wines, biodynamic wine, Chablis, Italian Wine, Natural Wine, Portuguese wine, Rhone, Sherry, Spanish Wine, Swiss Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recent Wines August 2026 (Part 1) #theglouthatbindsus

My usual format for Recent Wines (what we drank at home in the previous month) is about a dozen wines split over two parts. Well, in August we drank rather a lot. You will get 21 wines over three parts … Continue reading →

Posted in Amber Wine, Artisan Wines, Austrian Wine, biodynamic wine, Czech Wine, English Wine, Fine Wine, Loire, Natural Wine, Neusiedlersee, orange wine, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Merchants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Building a Wine Library (Part 2) (Going Deep)

In Part 1 of this article, I suggested a small number of wine books which covered fairly broad subjects. Here in Part 2, I get a bit more specific. These books fall into the third and fourth categories listed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Artisan Wines, Australian Wine, Champagne, English Wine, Grape Varieties, Jura, Rhone, Sake, Swiss Wine, Wine, Wine Books, Wine Tourism, Wine Travel, Wine Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Japanese Wine by Nick Rowan (Book Review)

If you were to ask why you should be in the slightest bit interested in a book on the wines of Japan, I would consider that a fair question. My task here is to convince you that such a book, … Continue reading →

Posted in Artisan Wines, Cheese, Grape Varieties, Japan, Vineyard Visits and Tastings, Viticulture, Wine, Wine Bars, Wine Books, Wine Tourism, Wine Travel, Wine Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment