| Dinner for One in a Temple |
June 26 2012, 11:30 |
| One of the fanciest places to eat in Beijing today is the Temple, an ancient hall of worship that has been transformed into a restaurant and - soon - a small boutique hotel with eight rooms. It's excellent cuisine is more contemporary European than anything Chinese, but the venue read more |
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| Allocating Limited Resources in China |
June 24 2012, 11:00 |
| Frankie Zhao is one of the older hands in the Chinese wine trade. A journalist, communicator and public relations' expert, he also works for Wang Jiu, a high end mail order company that sell only online. This is obviously an excellent way to target consumers in such a large market read more |
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| Preaching to the Converted |
June 23 2012, 14:30 |
| In terms of wine, Vietnam is still an emerging market. Proselytising much beyond red, cheap and, preferably Chilean Cabernet, is still work best left to French missionaries - almost everyone in the wine trade here is from Gaul - like Warehouse, Bacchus, Vinifera and Daloc. A half step ahead read more |
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| 2005 Château des Brumes 'La Fleur' |
June 21 2012, 15:00 |
| The last stop on my tour of Thai wineries was at the eastern edge of Khao Yai at Wang Nam Khieo, better known as the producer of Château des Brumes, a Shiraz Cabernet that is one of the best and most expensive wines from Thailand, boasting a consumer price of €100 for the read more |
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| Australian Shiraz with a Thai Accent |
June 20 2012, 14:20 |
| One of the pleasant stops on my tour of Khao Yai was Granmonte. The winemaker, Nikki Lohitnavy, studied winemaking in Australia and only returned home for the 2009 crush to help her father, Visooth. They now have eighteen hectares of vineyard and produce about 80,000 read more |
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| A German Twist on Thai Wine |
June 18 2012, 12:00 |
| One of Thailand's first winemakers was Prayut Piangbunta of PB Winery. After graduating from Weinsberg in 1978, he returned to Khao Yai to make his first domestic wines. The vineyards are at the foot of the mountains on the edge of one of country's largest and certainly most read more |
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| Pan Germanic Grand Cru? |
June 16 2012, 10:45 |
| I spent an hour at the presentation of '100 top vineyard sites' during VieVinum in Vienna last month. It was a joint presentation of like minded German and Austrian producers whose idea it is to have a common Germanic conception of Grand and Premier Cru, similar to that in Burgundy.read more |
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| Xinomavro and Nebbiolo |
June 15 2012, 11:00 |
| Although some producers have made a mark with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, the horse race among reds in Greece is between Agiorgitiko in the south (Nemea) and Xinomavro in the north (Naoussa). On the whole, there are more good Agiorgitiko, which is in some way this read more |
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| The Search for New Tomorrows |
June 13 2012, 12:10 |
| I remember visiting August Clape on my first visit - at least with wine on my mind - to the Rhône Valley in 1978. After each harvest in Côte-Rôtie with Marcel Guigal, I would cycle down through Saint Joseph and Hermitage to Cornas, visiting the likes of Jean-Louis Chave along the way. read more |
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| High in the Clouds |
June 11 2012, 13:12 |
| How often are you flown to Singapore by a Master of Wine and allowed to travel in the cockpit? Here is Frank Roeder MW, captain of LH 778 that just landed...safely. Putting things in perspective, when we misjudge wines, the consequences are seldom truly severe. That is no excuse read more |
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| Mature Riesling Kabinetts are a World of their Own |
June 09 2012, 12:00 |
| Tonight, I opened a bottle of 1979 Oberemmeler Altenberg Riesling Kabinett from Pfarrgut Sankt Briktius, now part of the Bischöfliche Weingüter. I am forever surprised at how subtly such light Rieslings with barely a kiss of residual sugar mature and understand only too well why read more |
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| Back to Beaujolais? |
June 06 2012, 13:10 |
| Yesterday, I was on the Saar. This time not to visit van Volxem, von Hövel or Egon Müller, but Tino Seiwert from Pinard de Picard, one of Germany's most individualistic mail order companies, at his cellars off the beaten track in Saarwellingen. He had, for me, kindly organised a blind tasting read more |
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| Stick! Stuck!! Stickies!!! |
June 05 2012, 12:10 |
| There were a number of interesting presentations at VieVinum over the past few days. One was surely that of Josef Schuller and Lynne Sherriff, both Masters of Wine, on the stickier side of fermented grape juice. The pair was joined by a host of producers from various parts of the world.read more |
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| Field Blend or Cuvée? |
June 04 2012, 15:10 |
| One of the interesting developments in Austria over the past few years has been the rise in interest of field blends as an alternative to those made in the cellar. The latter, often called a cuvée, became the norm in Bordeaux after phylloxera and has been the practice adopted in much of the read more |
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| Vinea Wachau Celebrates its Silver Anniversary |
June 02 2012, 10:50 |
| VieVinum has two aces up its sleeve: one, Vienna is a lovely city, or shall I say a large cultural village, and two, the Imperial Palace is a stunning stetting. This afternoon, in the Masquerade Hall that was built by Joseph, the 1st, as an opera house in 1705, Beethoven's 8th read more |
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| Bordeaux Putting its best Foot Forward for the Chinese |
May 30 2012, 11:20 |
| Vinexpo is often an unending series of long days, short nights and unrequited expectations. In spite of that, tonight's dinner of the 'Commanderie' in the Grand Hyatt was, like the 'Jurade' the night before and the 'Ordre' on Sunday, quite a success. It is clear that the producers of read more |
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| Faster Cars and Older Wines |
May 28 2012, 12:00 |
| Indonesia is a rapidly changing market and, at least compared to Malaysia, offers a more 'Californian' interpretation of Muslim. There, the energy of young importers like Dandy Widjaja from DwiMitra and his French colleague, Baldwin Jehanoo, is invigorating. Dandy's father owned a read more |
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| South of the Equator |
May 27 2012, 10:00 |
| In every market that is always some loner who takes a stance in the face of opposition, be it for Portuguese, Bulgarian or even Austrian wines. Djohan Widodo, pictured on the right, has developed a taste for German Riesling and sports, as far as I can see, the best selection in the read more |
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| How Palates Change with Heat and Humidity |
May 26 2012, 12:40 |
| Anticipating the festivities that will occur next week in Hong Kong, Sayang Bordeaux held its own Grand Cru dinner this evening at the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Jakarta. It is odd how the heat and humidity of this climate changes our palates…or at least mine. read more |
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| Making Merlot Sing |
May 24 2012, 12:20 |
| "Have Bordeaux, will travel". That slogan reminds me of a gun slinging television series of my youth. That said, the producers from the Gironde now do it in spades. More than almost any other wine growing region, they now understand that a physical presence in markets is necessary read more |
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| A Taste of Riesling in Singapore |
May 23 2012, 13:30 |
| I arrived late in Singapore this evening and raced - with dirty socks, a worn shirt and unbrushed teeth - to a tasting that Brad Ng had organised with Paul Seah and Hwee Peng Lim at his shop in the Plaza. The first flight was Riesling, with a range varying across several countries and vintages read more |
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| 2009 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano |
May 22 2012, 12:00 |
| Although I see far fewer Vino Noblle than Brunello on my Asian travels, I follow - after having tasted the young wines at the Anteprima in February - the new release of both Montepulciano and Montalicino as they trickle into the market. This year, the 2009s in Montepulciano scoured my teeth read more |
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| Mature Wines or Mature Bottles? |
May 20 2012, 11:00 |
| I opened my last bottle of 1982 Blanc de Blanc from Jean-Claude Vallois last night. This was the Champagne that I once served by the glass at Restaurant Gala in Aachen, where I worked as a sommelier until the late eighties. Gerhard Gartner was - ah, those were the days - one of read more |
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| South of Corsica |
May 18 2012, 17:20 |
| Over the past two evenings, I have opened the 2008 Assajé and 2007 Mantenghja from Capichera in Gallura, at the extreme northern end of Sardinia. I met the owners, father Alberto Ragnedda and son, at the 'tre bicchieri' presentation in Hong Kong last year. Impressed by a wine that read more |
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| Looking Back on 2007 Brunello di Montalcino |
May 15 2012, 16:00 |
| Over the past few days, I have tasted a number of 2007 Brunello di Montalcino that have just come onto the market. Having screened them in Tuscany in February with Tim Atkins and Wojchiech Bonkowski at Benvenuto, many were known entities. The vintage, in fact, has lots of pleasant read more |
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| Dry Riesling's Evolutionary Curve |
May 12 2012, 11:00 |
| After tasting the two most recent vintages of Heyl zu Herrnsheim's Bruderberg, both made under Felix Peters' tutelage, while I was in Nierstein on Wednesday, I pulled a bottle of the 1989 from my cellar upon my return home last night. While I have been sceptical over the past years about most read more |
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| Riesling in - Norwegian - Wood? |
May 10 2012, 11:15 |
| A morning along the Rhine recently took me to visit both Felix Peters at St. Antony (and Heyl zu Herrnsheim) in Nierstein as well as Hans Oliver Spanier at Battenfeld-Spannier (and Kühling-Gillot) in Hohen-Sülzen, two of the young producers who have made Rheinhessen such a dynamic read more |
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| The Ahr in 2011 Remains this Side of Eden |
May 09 2012, 14:00 |
| As part of my preliminary work for this year's guide, I spent today on the Ahr tasting from barrels, starting with Nelles and Adeneuer on the lower stretches of the valley and ending with Kriechel, Meyer-Näkel, Stodden and Sermann-Kreuzberg on the upper reaches of the river. Seldom have I read more |
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| More Alcohol and less Acidity on the Mosel in 2011 |
May 08 2012, 13:30 |
| The first stop of this year's tour of the vineyards to taste the new vintage brought me to the Mosel. Although not as consistent across the board as 2009, 2011 will be - in spite of the higher alcohols and lower acidities - a crowd pleaser. One producer told me, though, that as long as total acidity read more |
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| A Chat with Vanya Cullen on her 1996 Cabernet Merlot |
May 07 2012, 12:40 |
| Wandering through my cellar last night, I pulled a bottle of Cullen's 1996 Cabernet Merlot from an odd bin. Upon pouring my first glass, I was less surprised by the seductive aromas of blackcurrant, ironstone and violet than the succulent fruit at such moderate levels of alcohol. Perplexed, read more |
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| Graham's Preparing for the Queen |
May 05 2012, 15:30 |
| Some days bring us a touch of fortune. This afternoon, I was shown Graham's 1969 Colheita, better 'Single Harvest' as they call it. Apparently the Symington family is preparing a 1952 for the Queen's little party this year. Not certain that I'll be privy to that bash, but know that little bottles like read more |
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| Wine's Swan Song |
May 04 2012, 10:00 |
| My last stop before leaving Tallinn was the Saint Nicholas cathedral to see Bernt Notke's 'Dance of Death'. Painted in the late 15th century, the Lübeck artist's masterpiece depicts the transience of life, with skeletal figures of Death taking along the mighty as well as the feeble. Only the read more |
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| German Grand Cru in Tallinn |
May 03 2012, 11:00 |
| Yesterday afternoon I conducted a Master Class on German Grand Cru with the Estonian Sommelier Association - Kristel Nömmik below is their president - in Tallinn. That was followed by a dinner at the ambassador's residence for guests from his world of business and politics. It is not often read more |
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| Mainzer Weinbörse 2012 |
April 30 2012, 13:20 |
| The Weinbörse in Mainz ended this evening. Traditionally this has been the opening of the tasting season for each year's guide. From now until late September rolls forth a liquid marathon with more hurdles than on the Great Wall of China. That said, it would appear that 2011 will be a read more |
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| Dancing for Wine |
April 28 2012, 12:00 |
| The Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) has done an increasingly good job of promoting themselves in recent years. One of the initiatives that has meet with unmitigated success has been the Wine Ball that is held annually in the spa quarters of Wiesbaden on the eve of the presentation read more |
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| 2002 or 2001 in Burgundy |
April 25 2012, 10:46 |
| Providence again brought me to the 'Duck de Chine' in 1949 last night , this time with Yi Wang, a Chinese wine collector with keen insight, a deep understanding of what is happening in his country and a charming smile. After searching through his vast collection at home, we chose a bottle read more |
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| How Michelin Feeds its Stars |
April 23 2012, 10:40 |
| When you see how precise the Japanese work it the kitchen, and how small many of their finer restaurants are, it is not surprising that Japan now has both more Michelin two (116 over 83) and three star (32 over 26) establishments than France. In any case, you can eat extremely well there, even read more |
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| Revenge of Critter Labels |
April 22 2012, 14:16 |
| I am often surprised to note that airlines will occasionally pour premium spirits, but seldom anything better than lacklustre wines. At the business lounge in Narita, they served only one red wine, a 2009 Pinot Noir called 'Terroir des Dinosaures" from the upper Aude valley. Dedicated to a large read more |
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| On the Lighter Side? |
April 21 2012, 12:00 |
| I had dinner last night at 'Aux Provencaux" in Kojimachi with its humorous chef, Toshio Nakano, highlighting a range of 2009s from Delas. Although I definitely prefer the cooler Shiraz styles of the northern Rhône valley, the public made it clear to me why Châteauneuf-du-Pape enjoys read more |
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| A Touch of Paradise in Hell |
April 20 2012, 13:10 |
| Tokyo is an expensive city. I spent over €100 merely on taxis today just trying to make all of my appointments of time. In that light, it is a pleasure to spot true bargains! I stopped by the recently opened Mosaique in Minami Aoyama in the course of the afternoon to meet its French read more |
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| The Better Part of Valour: Kushikatsu for Beginners |
April 18 2012, 14:00 |
| I was confronted with 'kushikatsu' - deep fried kebabs - for the first time last night by Ikuro Mizuno at his restaurant Rokukaku Tei in the Nipponbashi ward of Osaka. Although he is reputed to be an experienced taster, the gentleman hasn't drunk for 20 years…and is said to now have 40,000 read more |
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| A Walk on the Wild Side |
April 17 2012, 09:50 |
| Toshi Mori is the wild bird of the wine trade in Japan and the only person I know who can go barefoot to a fine restaurant wearing a t-shirt and nonetheless be greeted by the staff like a rock star - or even royalty. Having made his money as Linn's importer, he turned his attention to his read more |
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| Subtle Aromas of Wild Herbs and Liquorice |
April 16 2012, 14:00 |
| I was invited to lunch in Roppongi by Toshi Mori from Odex. Andreas Wickhoff, who is in Japan this week for series of presentations on biodynamic viticulture, brought a bottle of 2000 Salzberg from Gernot Heinrich to compliment the younger wines from the estate that were being highlighted. read more |
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| Never the Same Stream Twice |
April 14 2012, 10:30 |
| Many buffs pine after Henri Jayer, the venerable producer from Vosne-Romanée whose estate no longer exists, at least not in its erstwhile form, and whose rare, still unopened bottles fetch breathtaking prices. There is, yes, something magical, about drinking anything sublime that will never be read more |
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| China's Wine Imports Continue to Soar |
April 13 2012, 12:30 |
| While the rest of the wine world is mired in a flout, Chinese imports "grew by over 50% in 2011 from 17 to 26 million cases", said Ian Ford (pictured here fondling grapes) of Summergate during our breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria in Shanghai. Not surprisingly with this growth, the number of read more |
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| A Cooler Interpretation of Australian Shiraz |
April 11 2012, 10:00 |
| While at the future Veloce in the 1949 complex in Beijing last night, Matt Bahen (pictured below with the muscles you develop playing Australian rules) of the Wine Republic opened a bottle of 2007 Mount Langi Shiraz from the Grampians. 2007 was perhaps not the vintage of the century read more |
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| 2009 Jia Bei Lan Grand Reserve wins Decanter Trophy |
April 10 2012, 13:00 |
| Last night, I was at Veloce in Beijing, a new wine bar that Krishna Hathaway will be opening in Sanlitun village in early May. Everything was still dusty, and the glasses just out of the box, but we shared a bottle of 2009 Jia Bei Lan Grand Reserve that Matt Bahen from the Wine Republic hat read more |
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| German Phoenix rising from the Ashes |
April 04 2012, 11:20 |
| At the Grand Hyatt in Seoul this afternoon, I conducted the first of this year's presentations of German Grand Cru for the VDP. Ian Seo had done an excellent job of culling the cream of the Korean crop of journalists, importers and sommeliers in order to make the event a success. About read more |
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| Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris? |
March 28 2012, 12:30 |
| Although Pinot Grigio is the far more popular varietal, I almost always prefer the crisp purity of Pinot Bianco to the softer, often diffuse simplicity of the former, be it in Italy, Alsace or southern Germany. With smaller berries and thicker skin, it is generally more resistant to disease and rot read more |
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| Riesling's rising Popularity in Italy |
March 27 2012, 17:00 |
| The first tasting that I moderated yesterday in the cellar of Hirschprunn castle during Alois Lageder's Summa 2012 in Margreid was with Annette Siegrist from the Dr. Bürklin-Wolf estate in Wachenheim. It was a selection of what we would today call Grosses Gewächs, or Grand Cru, from the read more |
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| On Donkey's Back to Nobility |
March 26 2012, 12:30 |
| During the Summa 2012 at Alois Lageder's Hirschprunn castle in Margreid, I moderated a number of tastings, amongst others with Alberto Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy. A very affable and unpretentious gentleman (the name implies that they made their money as movers read more |
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| Nomacorc revisited |
March 15 2012, 11:10 |
| After an interesting discussion with Jochen Mühlbauer and Hans-Peter Decker of Nomacorc at ProWein, I have been again looking at the subject of closers more closely for the first time since I edited Jamie Goode's article on the subject for Meininger's Wine Business International read more |
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| Champagne through the glass darkly |
March 11 2012, 12:25 |
| I had lunch today at Danzi Kitchen in Taipei with Kuan-min Chen and Yu-sen Lin, two well-known Chinese wines writers. Said to be famous for its Taiwanese 'tapas', this was certainly a charming way to spend an otherwise cold and drizzly morning. Kuan-min, or Vivienne for those of us who read more |
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| ProWein 2012 Closes its Doors |
March 07 2012, 10:15 |
| Although there are too many wine fairs, I keep running from one to the next. I don't make them all; the schedule is daunting. Alone in Europe there are, to name but a few, Vinexpo, ViniSud and Millesime Bio in France, Alimentaria, Fenavin and Vinobile in Spain, VinItaly, Cibus und Terramadre in read more |
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| A Tribute to Mature Riesling |
February 29 2012, 11:00 |
| I spent this evening with Hubert, Jean and Pierre Trimbach in Ribeauvillé. As they generally only release their Riesling Frédéric Emile five or six years after harvest, I had asked them to show me younger vintages in order to better understand this wine's evolution. Before dinner, we tasted a read more |
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| Diel de Diel de Diel |
February 28 2012, 16:10 |
| On my way back from the south before leaving for Asia, I stopped in Burg Layen to have a first look at the 2011 vintage at Schlossgut Diel with Caroline, who has taken over much of the technical side of the estate's management from her father, Armin. As elsewhere, 2011 has much in common read more |
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| When Rennina finally sings |
February 27 2012, 15:00 |
| My last visit during Benvenuto was to Pieve di Santa Restituta, where I met Gaia Gaja for a quarter of an hour before she had to leave for a dinner in Rome. This is the first time I had been to the estate since Roberto Bellini sold it to Gaia's father, Angelo, in 1996, all the while keeping the read more |
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| Brunello di Montalcino 2011 Awarded Four Stars |
February 26 2012, 17:20 |
| Vintage charts are not seen quite as often as they once were. This has primarily to do with the fact that global warming, better vineyard management, lower yields and later harvests have by and large relegated disasters to a footnote in history. What then do scales of one to five then have to read more |
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| A Royal Welcome at Biondi-Santi |
February 25 2012, 12:00 |
| On an otherwise lazy afternoon during the Benvenuto Brunello, I had the opportunity to again visit Biondi Santi and must admit that I was rather bluffed by the regal treatment we were given. I had been here before and done little more than see the old cellars, where I was told a story that the read more |
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| Valdipiatta's d'Alfiero Vineyard |
February 24 2012, 15:00 |
| The third of the afternoon vertical tastings of Montepulciano during the Anteprima was at Valdipiatta. Guilio Caporali, below with his daughter Miriam who took control of the property in 2002, was highlighting ten vintages dating back to 1983 of his d'Alfiero vineyard, which until 1999 was sold read more |
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| Size Does Matter |
February 24 2012, 10:45 |
| Yesterday, during the Anteprima in Montepulciano, an interesting tasting was conducted by Luca and Nicolò de Ferrari at their Boscarelli estate. We compared 2006s, 2004s, 2001s, 1998s, 1995s and 1990s in normal bottles with the exact same wines in magnums. Due to the varying read more |
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| All Five Vintages of Dei's Riserva Bossona |
February 23 2012, 14:00 |
| This afternoon Maria Caterina Dei invited a number of us to a tasting of the only five Bossona Riserva that her family has ever bottled: 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2009. Their villa just outside the old village of Montepulciano is surrounded by a romantic park with old cypress trees and read more |
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| Chianti Classico shows the 2009 vintage in Florence |
February 22 2012, 11:30 |
| This year's Anteprima began in Florence with the Collection showcasing the 2009 vintage of Chianti Classico at the Stazione Leopolda. This was a warm, sometimes even hot vintage that certainly favoured the cooler regions, in particular those at higher altitudes. There were some excellent read more |
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| Parsing Barolo with Luciano Sandrone |
February 17 2012, 11:20 |
| As much as I have tasted Riesling, Pinot Noir or Bordeaux from cask, it has never been a tradition in Piedmont to show young wines, especially Nebbiolo, before they were bottled. Only since I have taken a flat in Serralunga d'Alba and put my 'worst' foot forward, have I had the opportunity read more |
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| More Barolo for Less Money |
February 10 2012, 16:30 |
| Knowing that I have a weakness for nebbiolo, Yohan Handoyo opened a 2005 Barolo Carobric at his Decanter Wine Bistro in Jakarta. For those of you (us) who can no longer afford the finest Barolo on a regular basis, I've found an alternative or two for everyday consumption. Vietti's read more |
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| A Red Star Rising in the Tropics |
February 06 2012, 13:30 |
| My wanderings in Myanmar took me to Red Mountain just outside Nyuang Shwe in the Shan Province. Located above Lake Inle with a superb view of the surrounding countryside, the site and facilities are stunning, as if they had been brought here by well-meaning missionaries with unlimited read more |
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| One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest |
February 04 2012, 10:55 |
| My travels took me beyond the centre of Bangkok today and on to Samut Sakhon, where I visited Siam Winery. As their German winemaker Kathrin Puff was in Australia with my contact, Kim Wachtweitl, I was cordially received by her assistant, Chanon Archalaka, photographed here read more |
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| Learning curves |
January 31 2012, 13:15 |
| Each wine has its own trajectory. Some might call it a learning curve. Bordeaux traditionally began its life harsh and tannic, but slowly matures into that sumptuous ambrosia on which most of us cut our teeth. Today, that is an expensive school. Burgundy, on the other hand, has the great read more |
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| Refrigerator Reds |
January 28 2012, 11:30 |
| After rising before dawn for a last run through ice and snow around the imperial palace in Akasaka, it was rather a shock to land in Manila. The outside temperature was 28° Celsius - and the locals were happy that it was so cool. My first evening here was with Kitt Schroeder at her read more |
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| How to Describe Natural Wines |
January 26 2012, 16:20 |
| On my last night in Tokyo, I had a tasting dinner with James Dunstan from The Vine at Buchi in Shibuya. He is one a number of importers in Japan who place importance on biodynamic wines, in particular those from southern France, where he has a second home. Other than wild ferment read more |
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| A Visit to Takeda in Kaminoyama |
January 25 2012, 10:00 |
| In Japan, Saito Mokichi is a well-known poet and songwriter from the Meiji era who wrote about the life of peasant farmers. I was not in Kaminoyama, though, to follow in his footsteps, but, again with Miyuki Katori, to visit Noriko Kishidaira (pictured here in the current snow) from Takeda winery. read more |
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| A Visit to Coco Farm in Ashikaga |
January 24 2012, 12:30 |
| Ashikaga is known in Japan for its university dating back to 794, which I am told is reputedly one of the oldest in the country. I was here, instead, to visit Coco Farm with Miyuki Katori. This is where Bruce Gutlove was brought in some 22 years ago as a vinicultural missionary. Today, Toyoichiro read more |
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| Natural Wines from Racines in Tokyo |
January 21 2012, 16:00 |
| I arrived in Tokyo to a warm reception at Racines, one of Japan's leading purveyors of natural wine. After a bottle of Brut Essentiel from Benoit Lehaye, Yusuko Goda and Masaakii Tsukahara opened a bottle of 2000 Barolo 'Otin Fiorin' from Cappellano. Very pure in it aromas, with read more |
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| Sparkling Omija from Mungyeong in Korea |
January 18 2012, 14:20 |
| I was in Vin-Ga (www.vinga.co.kr) in Shinsa-Dong this evening, where I had dinner with Hyuck Kim. One of the Korea's leading wine journalists, he took time off from finishing his book on Spanish wines to show me a domestic sparkler named Omy Rosé (served in the photograph below by Na read more |
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| Changes at the VDP bring Total to 195 Members |
January 17 2012, 17:30 |
| Three further estates have been accepted as new members of the VDP, Germany's Union des Grands Crus: Boris Kranz from the Pfalz and two wineries from Baden, Markgraf von Baden and Heitlinger, which is now part of Burg Ravensburg. It went unsaid, and that is the major difference from read more |
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| Burgundy at the Tower of London |
January 15 2012, 13:00 |
| I was surprised to see that Burgundian growers turn out personally in troves to show their new vintage to the British trade. This year 2010 was on the books. Often the venues themselves are worth the detour. Corney and Barrow's event with a baker's dozen well-known estates was at the read more |
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| On Cures, Abstinence and easterly Mantras |
January 14 2012, 15:00 |
| Fred Loimer was on a diet when I passed through Langenlois. All he ate was soup…and I had to drink the 2010 Riesling Heiligenstein that he opened for lunch alone. Like Per Soehlke last fall, so many friends are looking for moments of distance from the stress and troubles of daily read more |
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| Turning to Blaufränkisch |
January 12 2012, 14:00 |
| It was interesting to note that Gernot Heinrich is becoming ever more a purist. Blaufränkisch and the more traditional blends like Pannobile appear to be taking a larger part of his heart. Surprising for me was then to taste that while the some twenty percent merlot in his 2009 Gabrinza read more |
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| 2011 in Styria is very Promising |
January 10 2012, 11:20 |
| Willi Sattler in Gamlitz is keen on the latest vintage in Styria. Having harvested a touch later that Alois Gross, his 2011s appear to be a bit richer and, as with many of his colleagues, fermentations slow to finish, making tasting some of the young wines difficult. Not surprisingly, alcohol levels will be read more |
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| Alois Gross is Excited about the 2011s in Styria |
January 09 2012, 17:05 |
| The producers in Styria are very upbeat about 2011. The otherwise cautious Alois Gross in Ratsch says that it may be the finest vintage he has ever harvested in his 30 year career. Beyond the sauvignons, the pinot blancs appear to have done well and most estates have, after three very short read more |
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| Of Mice and Men... |
January 08 2012, 12:45 |
| Work at Willi's has obviously become more interesting since I was behind this bar in the late 70s. On a lark, I stopped by for a drink yesterday while in Paris, but Mark Williamson was otherwise engaged. Like elsewhere in the world, pleasure is often glimpsed only in Champagne…and Japanese read more |
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| How Wines Age |
January 07 2012, 10:33 |
| This label brings back memories of skinny dipping in the Indian ocean and being stung by a man-of-war. Fortunately it was only my arm. I was surprised at how young this 1996 has remained. Still bracingly juicy, as if it had only been bottled yesterday…and that after fifteen years! Some read more |
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| An Alternative to Wine? |
January 05 2012, 13:25 |
| I was in Hamminkeln this afternoon. Ever heard of this metropolis on the lower Rhine near the Dutch border? A whopping 3.247 inhabitants! One family here, though, has made a name for itself with juice: van Nahmen. This is not watered down apple concentrate from Aldi for €0.69 a bottle importe read more |
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| Germany's newly minted Master of Wine |
January 01 2012, 11:15 |
Was with Caro Maurer, Germany's newly minted MW, just before New Year's Eve. Why do we not say Mistress of Wine? I somehow find the idea seductive. In any case, congratulations Caro…and thank you for read more
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| New Year's Eve in Serralunga d'Alba |
December 31 2011, 16:15 |
| If God exists and created our world, he certainly began with Piedmont. Here this afternoon's view of Castiglione Falletto from my kitchen window. New Year's Eve will be celebrated with numerous bottles of Barolo at Alessio's Vinoteca Centro Storico at the foot of the castle here in Serralunga read more |
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| Celebrating Luciano Sandrone's 50 Years |
December 30 2011, 12:00 |
| I had a lovely dinner with Luciano Sandrone last night at the Relais San Maurizio (photograph below) to celebrate his 50th year as a winemaker. Although 1978 was the first wine that he bottled under his own name, his first vintage was 1961 with Borgogno. Sort of makes me feel young! read more |
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| The healthiest Wine in the World? |
December 29 2011, 16:10 |
| After my experience with Tannat from Uruguay at the fair in Hong Kong, I was surprised to find a bottle of Madiran at my local apothecary being touted as the 'healthiest wine in the world'. Using high tannins - and the beneficial cardiovascular and perhaps even anti ageing effects of read more |
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| Bordeaux versus China |
December 15 2011, 13:00 |
| Just back from China, I missed the tasting below. Albeit only against commercial brands that sell at lower price points, I am nonetheless certain that Chinese wine has a future - and, that as they learn where to plant which varietals, we will soon see much more interesting wines. Below is the article read more |
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| Wine and Art at the Taorantian Club in Beijing |
December 14 2011, 13:11 |
| This afternoon, I visited the Taorantian Club on Taoranting Park in the south of Beijing near the Tiantan Temple. With a collection of art, wine cellars, and a upper terrace with a lovely view over the lake, it is a stunning place for tastings, concerts and the like. The owners under the guidance of read more |
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| Where Jades turns to Gold |
December 12 2011, 11:23 |
| Jade Valley lies about an hour's drive southeast of Xi'An at the foot of Qing Ling Mountains. The brainchild of Qingyun Ma, the dean of architecture at the University of Southern California, it is set in a location rich in history. At least six dynasties called ShangXi their home….and the path over read more |
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| Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Grace in Shanxi |
December 11 2011, 17:10 |
| I was greeted at Grace Winery in Dong Jia by Lee Yean Yean. Albeit in title only the technical director, he is the gentleman who makes things happen in the extended absence of owner Judy Leissner and 'winemaker' Ken Murchison. This estate had a tough go in the beginning as their first wines read more |
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| Wine for the gods? |
December 10 2011, 14:30 |
| How many wineries have their own temple? This is RongZi near the village of Xi'an Ning in the Shanxi province. Perched on top of a cold, arid mesa covered in snow, the landscape reminded me a touch of Rioja Alavesa in winter. The brain child of a local businessman, Zhang Wen Quian, who read more |
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| A large small player in the Chinese market |
December 09 2011, 12:10 |
| The comparatively old Dragon Seal winery is located near the Summer Palace on the outskirts of Beijing. It was probably once a lovely site, but has now been swallowed by the city. They would probably enjoy a comparison being made to Haut Brion, but little in that would be truthful. read more |
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| Soon the world's largest wine producer |
December 08 2011, 11:04 |
| I began today at COFCO's headquarters in Beijing. These guys think in orders of magnitude that we do not yet understand. You though Gallo was a large wine producer; wait until the Chinese start drinking seriously. Not surprisingly, the have hired Michel Rolland to look after their wines. He,read more |
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| The rise of Asian sommeliers |
December 03 2011, 12:36 |
| I am often impressed at not only how professional, but also how knowledgeable some Asian sommeliers can be, especially given the fact that few of them have had the opportunity to travel as widely as their European counterparts. At a Pio Cesare presentation at the Intercontinental near the read more |
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| Union des Grands Crus in Tokyo |
December 02 2011, 13:20 |
| The producers of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux have learned that they must travel widely to justify their pricing. They just happened to be at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo pouring their 2008s when I passed yesterday. I had to chuckle when I heard people - after the hikes for 2009 and 2010 read more |
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| A stellar selection of wines by the glass |
December 01 2011, 11:10 |
| I just had an aperitif at the Côte de Rouge near Akasaka station, where Hiroko and Giacomo had thought it interesting for us to meet. It was, in particular for its exceptional list of open wines. Although we contented ourselves to a 2009 Chablis from William Fevre, the white selection ascended read more |
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| Unbroken Circle |
November 29 2011, 16:13 |
| I was invited last night to the Unbroken Circle, a tasting club in Tokyo that has been together for some twenty years. Next month they will celebrate their 200th session. All magnums? Carl Robinson of Jeroboam had collected the wines for this blind man's bluff. The centrepiece was a flight of read more |
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| Festivin in Tokyo brings wine to life |
November 28 2011, 11:49 |
| I was invited to Festivin in Ebisu on Sunday. Japan is often so closed, distant and defensive. This, though, was an open, festive atmosphere, almost like a Mardi Gras party for organic food and drink. Wine can be serious, yes, but it must also be simple, understandable and fun. Before the read more |
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| Finding the right words |
November 23 2011, 11:40 |
| Jeannie Cho Lee, Asia's first Master of Wine as she calls herself, led a tasting of the Grandi Marchi at the Royal Meridien in Shanghai yesterday morning. She is purposely coy, always smiling…and takes her audience through a tasting in a very friendly way. Not surprisingly, she used read more |
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| Italians seldom leave the fold |
November 21 2011, 15:10 |
| I often wonder why producers come all the way to Singapore to show their wines at Italian restaurants? Last night, it was the Grandi Marchi at Il Gattopardo in the renovated Hotel Fort Canning. As much as we all enjoy such events, and feel at home, wine will only become part of the read more |
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| Wines from Bali? |
November 16 2011, 14:20 |
| Another wine from Indonesia? To date, I have only known those from Hatten. Now the group behind Dimatique has built a winery on the island of Bali named Cape Discovery. The first release will be a Sauvignon Blanc from the Margaret River. The trick? If you bring in unfermented must you pay read more |
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| 2003 revisited |
November 11 2011, 13:25 |
| Like many of my colleagues, I was at first sceptical of the 2003 vintage. Although the dry German Rieslings are now beginning to show better than I would have every imagined, the red Burgundies have fared even better. I must admit that Bernard Hervet, now the director of Faiveley, had always read more |
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| Hermannsberg rises from the ashes |
November 10 2011, 13:30 |
| On my way back to Cologne from Mainz, I stopped in Niederhausen yesterday to visit Gut Hermannsberg. With Jacob Schneider next door, this is certainly one of the two or three estates best poised to give Helmut Dönnhoff, Werner Schönleber, Tim Fröhlich and Caroline Diel a run for their money. read more |
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| Gault Millau 2012 launched in Mainz |
November 08 2011, 11:44 |
| On Tuesday, we launched the 19th edition of our German Wine Guide in Mainz. The Rheinland Pfalz Bank has made the past few events almost luxurious. Even if the book is worth but little, the food and wine was first class! I felt tipsy merely to have finished another year - and collapsed that read more |
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| Wines of Uruguay in Hong Kong |
November 07 2011, 12:24 |
| Of all the invitations I had during the fair in Hong Kong, I thought that of Wines of Uruguay at the Foreign Correspondents' Club the most interesting. I had, of course, had the opportunity to taste the occasional wine of two from this country before, but never such a wide selection in the presence of read more |
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| The Godfather: France in South Africa |
November 06 2011, 15:00 |
| I tasted the 2010 G, a South Africa blend of the usual culprits from Denis Dubourdieu and Giorgia dalla Cia - remember Rubicon from Meerlust? - at the fair in Hong Kong yesterday. Although it will retail at some €40 in Europe, that is still 'only' half the price of some of the other fine wines from read more |
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| Hong Kong aspires to be a wine hub |
November 06 2011, 10:35 |
| Hong Kong is playing a full court press to become, if it is not already, the wine hub of Asia. Both Watson's and ASC had their house fairs earlier this week…and Wine & Dine attracted 160,000 guests to the harbour. A tasting of the 'Tre Bicchieri' from Gambero Rosso then took place at the Shangri read more |
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| Size matters |
October 27 2011, 16:20 |
| I have just done a tasting from Delicato at a little bar behind the Opera in Saigon named Alibi. Ryan Stewart was there to show their wines. I was surprised to hear that this 'little' family owned business - they moved to the Bay Area from Sicily three generations ago - now produces thirteen million read more |
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| Wine in Myanmar? |
October 26 2011, 10:20 |
| After finishing articles on Japanese and Chinese wines, I was turning my sights to Thailand, but yesterday evening at the 'Warehouse' in Saigon I had the opportunity to taste two wines from Red Mountain Estate in Burma, a country better know for the political struggle of Noble Prize Laureate Aung read more |
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| German Grand Cru? |
October 15 2011, 12:56 |
| At the Churchill Bar of the Westin in Taipei, I spoke at a seminar and tasting of 'Grosses Gewächs' for key importers and journalists in Taiwan. Although the wines were more than appreciated, there was still a fair bit of head scratching before the sceptical voices begin to understand…if at all. read more |
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| The Wine Shop in Taipei |
October 14 2011, 12:25 |
| If you are looking for a lovely wine bar with fabulous prices in Taipei, try the Wine Shop at 21 Lane 346 of South Guang Fu Road in the Daan District. I had a midnight bottle of Alvaro Palacios' 2008 Bierzo Petalos with Dominique Levy from Formosa after the tasting…for less than €20 with full service read more |
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| On tea and wine |
October 03 2011, 13:00 |
| Who can deny that "when I sipping tea at my ceremony, I a swallowing the whole universe with it...and this very moment of lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and place?" These lines were written by Daisetz T. Suzuki. As I have just arrived at my flat in Serralunga d'Alba, read more |
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| The Parable of the Blind |
September 29 2011, 14:20 |
| Blind tastings? I am the last to criticise the value to such exercises as long as we are comparing like bottles. However, when - even with the same varietal - there are variations in vintage, regions of production, amount of residual sugar and the like I throw up a question mark. Each of us can say with read more |
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| Fools rush in where angels fear to tread |
September 17 2011, 11:00 |
| Last night I opened two old Christmas presents from Werner Näkel, his 2004 Campo Ardosa (with Bernard Breuer and Bernd Philippi) from Portugal and his 2003 Zwalu (with Neil Ellis) from South Africa, both in magnums. Although I much preferred the 'authenticity' of the former from the Douro, it was read more |
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| A Taste of Crete |
September 14 2011, 13:45 |
| I was served two Cretan wines from Boutari in a little restaurant where we had dinner last night. Called Kretikos, the first was a white made principally from Vilana, the chief white cultivar in Iraklio. Fresh, with aromas of green apples and straw, its low alcohol was well suited to quaffing. I had tasted read more |
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| 2011 Vintage Starts in Germany |
September 11 2011, 10:15 |
| 2011 will be - already is - an early vintage in Germany. Given its precocity, some are likening it to 2003, but it wasn't that warm in the summer, nor are the alcohol levels so high and, given the early bud break, the growing season was longer than many might think. 2005? 2009? The grapes still look very read more |
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| A Taste of Azerbaijan |
September 07 2011, 12:05 |
| I tasted three wines from the foothills of the Caucasus in Azerbaijan last night. None was particularly good, nor could I even read the labels to see what they actually were, but it set me to think - especially considering the invitations being extended to Asian journalists for a tour in November - about read more |
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| Rheingau Regional Finals |
September 04 2011, 11:05 |
| We held the final tastings of the Rheingau at Eltvinum the day before my flight to Shanghai. Although there were many impressive Rieslings, it would appear that - at the same latitude - the Nahe was slightly more consistent across the board, with better focus and more clarity of fruit. Not read more |
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| Rheinhessen Regional Finals |
September 02 2011, 12:00 |
| We held the final tasting of wines from Rheinhessen at the Weil estate in Kiedrich last week. I was, again, underwhelmed. Given the fact that most producers have markets only for their dry wines, it was a long morning. The number of once ubiquitous 'spätlese' and 'auslese' could be read more |
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| Silver Heights in Ningxia |
August 29 2011, 11:05 |
| After the 'cool climate' event at the Four Seasons in Shanghai and a Japanese dinner with various importers, I was at Dr. Wines 'after midnight' with Campbell Thompson of Wine Republic and retasted (a bottle of) the 2009 Reserve from Silver Heights. I was pleased to see that this 'Bordeaux read more |
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| Pfalz Regional Finals |
August 27 2011, 13:10 |
| We finished the final tastings of the wines from the Pfalz in Jürgen Mathaß' kitchen in Arzheim yesterday. This is the only region in Germany where Pinot Blanc fared so well in 2010…and a wide range of dry Riesling shone. Not everything was gold, though, and several lesser known estates read more |
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| Mosel Regional Finals |
August 23 2011, 10:50 |
| Although a number of estates had yet to show their wines, we held the regional finals for the Mosel last week in the renovated kitchen at Eckhard Kiefer's estate in Dalsheim, a lovely old village still cradled within its medieval walls in the hilly backwaters of Rheinhessen. As the acidities read more |
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| Baden Regional Finals |
August 20 2011, 14:44 |
| The regional finals for Baden took place in the old castle in Bad Mergentheim last Thursday. Even if everything appears much better today than I would have expected three months ago, there are few wines with the stature of 2009 - and still fewer true surprises. Laible bests Neuweier in the Riesling read more |
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| Ten Year's After: 2001 German Riesling |
August 19 2011, 10:51 |
| Although the 2001 Pinot Noirs raised more questions than they answered, the ten flights of 2001 dry Riesling that we tasted a day later were without doubt the finest that I have seen since we began doing our 'Ten Year's After' events nine years ago. Of the forty wines, there was not one that I would read more |
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| Ten Year's After: 2001 German Pinot Noir |
August 15 2011, 10:34 |
| The second of our 'ten year's after' tastings took place earlier this week at Andreas Lelke's Gut Sulz along the Rhine. After the pleasant surprise with some of the finest 2000 Pinot Noirs last year, we approached 2001 with great expectations. Although there were a number of very fine Burgundies, read more |
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| China a net exporter of wine? |
August 12 2011, 12:20 |
| Many wineries look to China today as a solution either to their problems of overproduction or as a potential market for their upscale labels, but few see that the Middle Kingdom is also a major producer in its own right, bottling in some way, shape or form enough wines to satisfy 90% of read more |
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| 2009 Friulano from Schiopetto |
August 10 2011, 13:20 |
| Collio's reputation has come and gone in certain markets, but it certainly remains one of the finer places to make white wine in Italy. Last week I again visited this lovely region to see Carlo Schiopetto, who with his siblings Maria Angela and Giorgio has followed in father Mario's footsteps. I can read more |
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| 2008 Barbaresco Pajoré from Sottimano |
August 07 2011, 10:15 |
| While in Piedmont, I sent a pleasant afternoon with Andrea Sottimano in Neive. Actually his cellars are closer to the famed Ribajà site on the crest of Barbaresco than to Neive, but a change in communal legislation landed him in Neive. He has long been one of my favourite producers in read more |
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| 2009 Derthona Timorasso from Walter Massa |
August 04 2011, 11:09 |
| On one of my last evenings in Piedmont, Alessio from the Centro Storico in Serralunga d'Alba showed me the Derthona Timorasso, an indigenous grape from the Colli Tortonesi in the province of Alessandria in far southeastern Piemonte near the border with Lombardia. This one was the read more |
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| Nahe Regional Finals |
August 01 2011, 11:34 |
| The Nahe has done well over the past several years, but 2010 has struck a new balance. The estates on the lower end of the valley have an elegance that they did not possess in the richer vintages of the recent past…and nowhere in Germany will you found such a vast assortement of excellent read more |
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| Ahr Regional Finals |
July 31 2011, 13:20 |
| After Württemberg, the region finals for the Ahr took place yesterday under a tent in the backyard of Christoph Dirksen's home in Beuel. Basically, this was another look at this small region's finest Pinot Noir, or Spätburgunder as they call it in Germany. Since its departure from sweet rosé sold read more |
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| Württemberg regional finals |
July 30 2011, 12:10 |
| The regional finals for Württemberg took place yesterday, not in the royal family's grave chapel pictured here, but in one of the numerous seminar rooms at the university in Weinsberg. The light was perfect, the air fresh and the view out the large bay windows not so enchanting that it read more |
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| Franken Regional Finals |
July 28 2011, 15:10 |
| As even Riesling must still be considered 'challenged' as an international varietal, it would be far too soon to speak of a Silvaner Renaissance, but there is little question about the fact that this grape is gaining a renewed acceptance in Germany that it has not had for years, with Franken leading read more |
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| Mittelrhein Regional Finals |
July 27 2011, 16:48 |
| The regional finals for this year's guide book began at Im Schiffchen in Rhens yesterday morning with the Mittelrhein. The trick for all of the estates to solve in 2010 was clearly how to handle the high natural acidities that the vintage brought forth. The best producers harvested quite late, read more |
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| Ten Years After |
July 15 2011, 14:48 |
| Our 'ten years after' tastings are often one of the highlights of the summer sessions. With 2000, there was not much to write home about. This was, with perhaps 1982, one of the weakest vintages I have seen since I have lived in Germany. 2001 is quite different, both from vintage and the style of theread more |
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| Wine Imports to India |
July 05 2011, 10:08 |
| Most of the importers in Delhi are based in Okhla, which is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the slums. The roads are, when they can be called that, in a serious state of disrepair and the buildings at best inconspicuous. Surprisingly, once you have entered the gates the interiors can often read more |
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| 2010 Rheingau |
June 10 2011, 12:28 |
| 2010 in the Rheingau is reminiscent of 2008 (here the new label for Breuer's Schlossberg), 2004 or 2001…and much better than I had expected. It will be interesting to see a wider range of the finest growths next month in Wiesbaden as the young Rieslings have grown more read more |
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| Alternative Closures |
March 31 2011, 10:20 |
| I had long been more sceptical of vino-lok closures than screw caps, in particular because you cannot lay an open bottle down in the refrigerator, and was thus surprised to note the number of elite Austrian producers that use them. Uniform closure, high pressure resistance and little read more |
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| Château Musar |
February 15 2011, 15:08 |
| We spent an interesting day with Serge Hochar and his family at the winery in Ghazir yesterday. It is intriguing how this charismatic and irrepressible gentleman turned the extended war in Lebanon into an export motor for Musar...and there are still a glass or two of older wines to be had. He read more |
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| Research on Wood |
January 26 2011, 14:30 |
| Faiveley is where my research on wood - and coopers - began a couple of years ago...with Bernard Hervet, the managing director. That first experience left me shocked. At the end of the tasting I was able recognise the flavour profile of the individual barrel maker easier than that of the read more |
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