Category Archives: Wine Agencies

Ode to a different kind of Wine Shop

If you read my Mosel Bridge post you’ll know I spent a few days down there last week. Not quite as long as I’d have liked, but long enough to do the two things I wanted to do most: buy … Continue reading

Posted in German Wine, Mosel, Wine, Wine Agencies, Wine Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Jolly, Beau and New, but no Nouveau

Last night a dozen devotees slipped into the air-conditioned private room at 10 Cases in Covent Garden for a much anticipated look at some “new school” (is that s-cool?) Beaujolais, the kind of trendy stuff mostly found in those hyper-cool … Continue reading

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Ode to a Wine Shop

I have just heard the news that Roberson will close their Kensington High Street wine shop on 30 August. This is really sad news, but I do understand the logic. The lease is up for renewal and I’ll bet the … Continue reading

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Absolute Beginners

Some time ago I wrote a piece prompted by a comment made by Jancis on the lack of young people at the Bordeaux tastings. Now I have young people in the family, my children and their partners. Despite living in … Continue reading

Posted in Bordeaux Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Bit of a Theise

Terry Theise’s book Reading Between the Wines (UCP, 2010) had been floating just above my radar for a long while. It was the recommendation of Heidi Schrœck about a month ago which acted as a catalyst to make me read it, … Continue reading

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Spice Oddity

Major Thom called Ground Control suggesting the India Club might be the venue at which to see whether the Oddities theme could work for Indian food. As it turned out, the wines were not really very odd (on the whole), … Continue reading

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The Talented Mr Ripley

Okay, I admit, my proclivity for really corny headlines has seemingly gone too far this time, but you should not despair. Howard Ripley can be described as nothing less than talented, for he’s assembled much of the cream of German … Continue reading

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Do You Keep Péts?

Long before someone other than Dom Pérignon thought of putting bubbles in Champagne and the whole méthode traditionelle was invented, bottle fermented wines were commercialised using the Ancestral Method (aka Rural Method). The plan is that you bottle the wine before … Continue reading

Posted in Natural Wine, Wine, Wine Agencies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rhone Away Success

Things so often happen in pairs, and after reading Matt Walls‘ really interesting article on Saint-Joseph in last month’s Decanter, I was invited by Vintrepid‘s Robbie Ward to a tasting of this appellation downstairs at Planet of the Grapes’ Holborn … Continue reading

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Smells Like Teen Spirit

Having previously discussed how young people are thinking about wine these days (a theme I’ll pick up on again very soon), I have just heard about a really interesting company set up to sell premium and craft spirits by a … Continue reading

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