Welcome to my world of wine
I like grape varieties that do not fully explain themselves with the first sip. Savagnin, Chenin Blanc, Aligoté and, increasingly, Silvaner. At first glance they have little in common. Different regions, different aromatic profiles, different traditions in the cellar. And yet varieties like these have experienced a remarkable revival in recent years. Their strength often […]
When people think of France’s great wine cities, Beaune, Bordeaux and perhaps Paris are usually the first names that come to mind. Lille, by contrast, rarely features on a wine lover’s itinerary. It deserves far more attention. The capital of northern France has a vibrant wine culture, exceptional cavistes and restaurants with wine lists capable […]
Bernkasteler Doctor is widely regarded as one of the great vineyards of the Mosel. The more interesting question is: why this particular site? A little over three hectares of steep vineyard above the town of Bernkastel, directly overlooking its rooftops. South to south west facing. Devonian slate. At first glance, much of this sounds familiar. […]
Reading Wine from the Soil Not every shift in our understanding of wine begins in the glass. Sometimes its origin lies elsewhere, in an unexpected place: an audiobook on soil narrated by an American rancher. Perhaps this is because many of the questions we ask about wine cannot be fully answered by wine literature alone. […]
Why Fino from Jerez can be a surprisingly precise alternative to Chablis and Muscadet The first oyster with a Fino is a subtly disorienting moment. Not because the pairing does not work – but because it works differently than expected. There are combinations that seem so self-evident that we hardly question them. Oyster and Chablis. […]
