Riesling is one of the best varieties for cellaring on a budget (or not)particularly when you are starting a collection. Riesling ages well undergoes definitive changes that begin carry it away from simple primary fruit within a couple of years from vintage. This is really useful when trying to learn about how wines mature. Those [...]
Bloomberg reports that a collection of Chateau Lafite (one of Bordeaux’s five first growths) bottles going back to the 1787 vintage will undergo a battery of tests costing 30,000 pounds. The Antique Wine Company is selling the collection by private negotiation. Money well spent from a publicity point of view, although it could all turn [...]
A couple of days ago I posted a question, “are there was any wineries that use free range eggs for their egg white fining of red wines (when necessary)”. The first winery to respond was Villa Maria. For those of you who prefer free range eggs it’s nice to be able to extend the policy [...]
A report in the Telegraph has UK merchants threatening a boycott of the 2006 Bordeaux en primeur. Is it just me, or does this threat crop up just about every second year? They may actually have to try a boycott rather than just threatening if they want to get any price movement.
Seen on Berry Brothers and Rudd. The releases will probably come fairly fast now but we probably won’t see the first growths until the end of the month if not later.
Justerini & Brooks in the UK have released the above wines as well as La Fleur-Petrus. I haven’t checked yet but the prces don’t seem that different from last year! You may have to log into their site to view.
I was reading a review of Pinot Noirs in the New Zealand Herald the other day. I noticed that all the prices were over $40NZD per bottle. Supposedly they were the author’s favorites but there were no lower priced wines. Pinot Noir is often reported to be a difficult grape to grow well, and to [...]
A little while ago I wrote a post on egg white fining to ease any fears people might have had on seeing “may contain egg products†on a wine label. It’s one of my most read posts but I have never had a question or a comment on it, until yesterday. The question asked if [...]
The season is upon us once more. If you have never struck en primeur before try my primer. Majestic has an RSS feed for tasting notes and releases that could be useful to those who are looking to buy. From the consumer perspective it would good if the prices backed off last years pricing significantly, [...]
Wow, any one that has exported wine to Hong Kong will know how big this, as will Hong Kong’s residents. The duty was 80% and is being reduced to 40%. As you can see this would have a huge effect on premium wines right through to mid priced wines. Hopefully there won’t be two many [...]
Brent Marris has resigned his post as winemaker at Wither Hills.
Early forcasts are predicting a drop from last years 382 million leters in South Africa down to 343.8 million. Meanwhile in Chile the a ton of grapes is changing hands for as little as $85 USD. The Chilean government is now offering to pay farmers to rip up their vines!
I’ve had an email from the Sonoma County Vintners regarding their forthcoming Sonoma Country Showcase from July 12 – 15. It looks like a great weekend of wine and food with a wide range of events. More details at showcase.sonomawine.com if your interested.
A little while a go I wrote a few posts on fining agents and why they are now appearing on a back labels in an allergen declarations. These posts have been some of the most popular I have written, so I thought I should add a fining agent that you won’t find on the back [...]
Once, a long time ago wine shows did a lot to improve the standard of wine. Now in the twenty-first centaury are they as relevant? Truly faulty wines are close to disappearing altogether as winemaking techniques and hygiene have improved as well as traceability now being an overriding concern in the vineyard and winery to [...]
The Australian vintage looks to have reduced by 50% from last year. This could have some rather serious effects in wine supply locally and have an effect globally. Although it may take a year or two to work its way trough the system it will probably mean a reduction in the amount of cheap clean-skin [...]
Gewürztraminer is a rather under utilized grape variety that is sometimes difficult to find. I was at a well-known, high quality, local wine store a few days ago and I could only find 5 different wines from the variety. I was quite pleased to find one from 2001, that gives you an idea of how [...]
News this morning that a Glassy Winged Sharp Shooter has bee found in The Cook Islands is not great news. This pest is well known in California and other US winegrowing regions. Here in the southern hemisphere, it’s not as well known. The insect is not a direct threat, it’s danger lies in it being [...]
A word of advise for consumers out there. When wine has been reduced to below half it’s normal price there is a fare chance it wasn’t selling too well at it’s normal retail price, particularly when it’s year or two older than most other similar wines. This may not be because of the quality but [...]
I tried a Chardonnay in the weekend that was made from very good Chardonnay grapes. The only problem was the excessive oak content, which was strangling the life out of the fruit. After years working in the industry this really frustrates me. There is a big market for heavy-handed oak usage but I cannot see [...]