Category Archives: Wine Tastings

Les Caves de Pyrene Drinking Outside the Box Tasting 2019 (Part 1)

Les Caves de Pyrene held their annual Portfolio Tasting on Tuesday 23 September at the Hellenic Centre off Marylebone High Street, London. As with a similar event last year, Les Caves decided to stir things up a bit. A lot … Continue reading

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Three Go Mad In Islington – Nekter, Roland, Modal Portfolio 2019

The three dynamic, young and small importers featured here have not chosen a pithy name for themselves, like the “Dirty Dozen”, so I’ve kind of done it for them in my title (sorry chaps). Nekter Wines, Roland Wines and Modal … Continue reading

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Dirty Dozen Tasting 2019 (Part 2)

I wrote about some of the wines tasted at London’s Dirty Dozen Tasting in Part 1, here. Those importers covered were The Wine Treasury, Roberson Wine, Howard Ripley Wines, Raymond Reynolds, H2Vin and Flint Wines. Follow the link above to see what … Continue reading

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Dirty Dozen Tasting 2019 (Part 1)

September sees so many tastings, too many. A top Sommelier told me yesterday that all the importers think that the sommeliers change their wine lists, starting from scratch, in November, but she also added that this is a complete myth. … Continue reading

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Howard Ripley 2018 GGs and ’17/’16 Pinot

No one in the UK has a range of German Wines that outstrips that of Howard Ripley Wines. Although they could not supply all my German requirements, if I had to I could live off Ripley Riesling (and Spätburgunder). They … Continue reading

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New Wave South Africa 2019

The New Wave South Africa tasting was held on Tuesday this week, at The Vinyl Factory, the basement under Phonica Records in Poland Street. As always, there was a buzz going around long before this event, as there always is these days when the … Continue reading

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Victoria Torres Pecis – The New Star of the Canaries

A couple of years ago a friend visited La Palma, the most northerly and one of the smaller Canary Islands. At the time I had no idea any significant wines were made on the rather barren looking volcano of La … Continue reading

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Basket Press Returns to Plateau

I wrote about Basket Press Wines first back in February 2018. I remember that cold winters night, at Plateau in Brighton, and being warmed inside by my first full tasting of Czech wines. Eighteen months later and I’m back in … Continue reading

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Bruno Paillard at Hedonism

I have a bit of a thing for Bruno Paillard Champagne. I may spend a lot of my time drinking the Growers these days, but what I am looking for, always, is wine with a soul, wine which reflects its … Continue reading

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Blank Bottle at Butlers – Pieter Walser fills us in.

Blank Bottle Winery was established in an old shack (a hinterhofkabuff, so the “story” goes, see later on) in Somerset West, South Africa, …something like  maybe fifteen-or-so years ago, according to legend (bare with me here). I will briefly relate … Continue reading

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