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My pick of
Millésime Bio
organic wine fair 2006: 20 estates reviewed from the Languedoc, Roussillon,
Provence and southern Rhone; plus "a few facts and thoughts" on organics...
Highlights from
Vinisud wine
show Montpellier 2006: featuring a dozen top Languedoc & Roussillon producers...
 Nebbiolo
"International Symposium"
Alba, March 2006
"Obviously the focus was on northwest Italy, but there were
producers from elsewhere too - Sardinia, California, Virginia,
Mexico, Australia and South Africa - with their wines made from this
"schizophrenic" variety... Comprehensive notes and comments on these
wineries: Elvio Cogno, Sandrone,
Ghiomo, Burlotto,
Oddero, Viberti and giant
Fontanafredda; plus a marathon walk-around tasting of Barolo, Barbaresco, Ghemme, Valtellina... including verticals of top estates: Ascheri, Batasiolo, Bel Colle, Bussia Soprana, Verduno, Moccagatta, Rizzi, Gresy, Varaldo, Prevostini, Silver..." Click on
those Nebbiolo grapes!
Australia Pinot
Noir tutored tasting May 2006
South Africa Chenin
Blanc: themed tasting May 2006
Chile trophy winners: my favourites
from "the third inevitable instalment of the Wines of Chile Awards..."
 Biodynamic
growers worldwide:
"return to terroir"
"Biodynamic viticulture is slowly moving from obscure homeopathy-cum-astrology
to hippy mainstream... the illustrious names who are
members of the Renaissance des appellations/return to terroir group... speak for themselves..."
Two dozen 90+ pointers picked from a groundbreaking tasting in
London (May 2006) including sublime wines from: Josmeyer, Falfas, Leroy,
Abbatucci, Gauby, Coulée Serrant, Breton, Trévallon, Montirius, Chapoutier, Nikolaihof, Geyerhof, Herrnsheim,
Sander, Eymann, Pepe, San Giuseppe,
Trevvalle, Valgiano, Lezaun, Estela, Benziger, Bonterra, Antiyal and Castagna. Plus an
attempted summary of
Nicolas Joly's ideas, biodynamic guru grower and author: "winegrowing for
the future..." Click on Nicolas to be enlightened!
6th Fenouillèdes wine fair May 2006
Signature Bio organic wine
competition June 2006
 Tour
of Tokay
&
Budapest: Hungarian wine travelling autumn 2006
"Beware of vampires and satanic fungus when entering the musty shadowy
cellars of "Tokaj" country. Nosferatu fans will love the time-weary
tomb-like entrance, a graveyard-stone structure with creaking gate
that leads mysteriously downwards to kilometres of tunnels lined with
precious old barrels; maybe the odd hidden coffin even...
at Chateau Pajzos-Megyer aptly buried underneath the Castle... these dank
tunnels were started in 1535 and ooze
gothic horror stories..." Also featuring: Disznókő,
Royal Tokaji, Szepsy,
Dereszla, Degenfeld,
Hétszőlő, Oremus, Béres with restaurant & hotel tips in the
area and Budapest... "Interview the vampire" above to find out
more!
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Organically focused on
Alsace Corsica Tuscany: themes from Millésime
Bio 2007...
Clare Valley Riesling report March
2007
Rioja free zone! Hot tips from
"elsewhere," Wines from Spain London tasting Feb. 2007...
Austria Grüner
Veltliner: more than thirty of Austria's signature grape variety
tasted and reviewed, "so you don't have to..." February 2007
 Languedoc & Roussillon: top reds over €10
"Difficult to turn down
author Michel Smith's invitation to taste "over 50 of the region's best
red wines..." But were all the wines worth the money and deserve their
reputation? Michel had already done an "under €10" tasting, where he
found plenty of winners... What's particularly noticeable is the amount of favourites falling between €10-€15. Beyond
that, we found some great wines but also more vacuous, frankly less
enjoyable ones overloaded with flash new oak or heavy winemaking..." My
top 15 red winemakers: Rouaud, Ollieux Romanis, Mazelet, Rimbert,
Borie Blanche, Amiel, Liquière, Etoile Matin, Balmettes, St-Antonin, Alezon, Grandes Costes, Augustins,
Bagatelle, Bizeul. Spring 2007. Click on Hervé Bizeul in his cave...
 Touring
Crozes-Hermitage country
"Crozes-Hermitage literally stands in the
imposing shadow of the Hermitage hillside vineyard, but do the wines lag
far behind in its awesome wake? The busy little town of Tain l’Hermitage forms the heart of the
appellation and where the eponymous hill starts to rise steeply,
immediately behind the station, adorned with placards carrying those oh-so
famous names (Chapoutier, Jaboulet...) and the landmark Chapel revered by
wine lovers around the globe..." Wine touring and tasting A to Z including these hot producers: Chomarat,
Yann Chave,
Delas, Fayolle, Alain Graillot, Hauts Chassis, Rémizières,
Gilles Robin. Summer 2007. Click on "La Chapelle"...
Ventisquero Pangea, Chile: tutored
tasting profiled under "Winery snapshots" page 5...
1907
Revolt
2007 Roussillon: "evening event orchestrated by
Roussillon Wines and the Mayor of Saint-Estève November 2007...
informative and commemorative, as we shouldn't forget that people died in that
tragic historic year..." Pick of a tasting of award-winning wines selected for
the annual Saint-Bacchus competition 1997-2007...
Gérard Bertrand: "King of the Languedoc?"
 "A dose of
La Clape, picking Cinsault, vertical tastings and barbecued wild boar... Villemajou is
where the story begins, as they say, the original Bértrand family property... Hospitalet
lies on the rugged eponymous hillock, which has given its name to this
Languedoc sub-appellation (I won't labour the "unfortunately-named
theme")... Aigle Royal is sourced from one of the highest vineyard
parcels, at 500 metres altitude, so think Where Eagles
Dare..."
Comprehensive reviews across their range including La Forge
2000 to 2005, Cigalus red/white 2001 to 2007, Le Viala 2000 to 2005,
Aigle Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, L'Hospitalitas. Autumn 2008. Click on GB's picture
for the full monty.
 "New
Wave" Spain
awards 2008: "This thought-provoking tasting was designed as a
showcase for the top 100+ Spanish wines deemed award-worthy...
already selected from a marathon taste-off judged by a team of
UK trade and press hardened palates. Although there were some great
wines here...
I have to say I was disappointed..." My top wines were from: Marqués Murrieta,
Abadía Retuerta, Julian Chivite, Cosme Palacio, Contino, CVNE,
Luis Cañas, Ysios, Roda, Valdivia, Hidalgo, Lustau, Beltran Domecq, Sandeman,
Fernando Castilla... Enter the cellar, right! London summer 2008.
Cava
mini-guide: "...a few lesser-known sparkling gems
including these 10 stand-out Cava wineries: Llopart, Carles Andreu, Perelada, Parxet, Raimat,
Bach,
Lavernoya, Mont Àrac, Blancher, Parató..." Started 2008, last updated June
2010.
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