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Nestled in the rolling hills of western Sonoma County, the Russian River/Green Valley appellation is a perfect microclimate for growing pinot noir. Only ten miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles north of San Francisco, the site is influenced by ...

I was sitting at my desk when a messenger arrived to say that all students had to report to the assembly hall immediately. Once all the boys were seated (no girls in those days) the headmaster took centre stage and burned eight words into my memory b...

Finally, in 2020, a special day was created to celebrate a wine that was first produced almost 1,000 years ago in Tuscany, and so we now celebrate National Chianti Day on the first Friday of every September. In the 1970s, when I first became involved...

On August 30 we celebrate International Cabernet Sauvignon Day, so I intend to describe a few very fine ones to you. At 840,000 planted acres in the world, it can rightfully claim first place, as merlot has 657,300 acres and chardonnay 518,900. Its e...

Three years is far too long to go without seeing your first born, his young sons and their mother, but Covid-19 complications and a passport that disappeared into the maws of government in March, has put me in that position. On Sunday that came to an...

When we say that someone is thin-skinned, we usually mean that they are sensitive and do not handle adversity well. Pinot noir grapes are literally thin-skinned and especially susceptible to frost, infections and disease. A hot climate can cause the...

When we say that someone is thin skinned, we usually mean that they are sensitive and do not handle adversity well. Pinot noir grapes are literally thin skinned and especially susceptible to frost, infections, and disease. A hot climate that can cau...

August 13 is designated as the day that we celebrate with that ever-popular Italian bubbly known as prosecco, which takes its name from a village in north-eastern Italy. Although the law allows for a non-sparkling one I have yet to see any and, altho...

The Mendel Winery is the result of Roberto de La Mota, one of Argentina´s most respected and experienced winemakers, joining with a near century old Argentinian family. Their sole objective is to produce wines of unquestionable superior quality expr...

Today we will head to the Southern Hemisphere and visit Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as this is the time to have cricket on our minds – and hopefully wine – as these three nations do both passionately. The Jim Barry Winery is situated in...

On February 4 I wrote of selecting the appropriate wine after just being told by my wife that Michael Aday – you knew him better as Meat Loaf – had died and we had lost one of the greatest rock and roll artists. I said that I opened a bottle of Bogl...

I noted that the column by fellow writer Catherine Burns last week was titled “Cost-saving kitchen tips” and I have received e-mails asking if I would consider doing the same – so here goes. I will discuss the wines that I have always referred to as,...