Australian First Families of Wine Masterclass
Australia’s ‘first families of wine’ rocked into London last week, marking their first port of call on an international road trip, aimed at re-igniting interest and enthusiasm for the sort of posher Aussie wines that lay above the big volume brands. They kicked off with a 24-wine masterclass tasting.
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2010
The 17th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition judged nearly 7,000 wines from more than 50 countries. Here are the competition’s top-scorers, and some of my own top-scorers with their medal-awards.
Re-discovering biodiversity
Biodiversity is the latest in a series of buzz-words in the field of sustainability as all agriculturally-based industries address the vagaries and pitfalls of mono-culture. Viticulture is also adapting to the new order.
South-West France, Paul Strang
Paul Strang shares his expertise on the complex, diverse, entangled wine regions of south-west France.
Guide to wine tasting – part 2
Part two of an eight part guide to wine tasting, written for France magazine. This month is rosés.
Corbières Boutenac
A developing theme in the Languedoc is the creation of a small band of crus appellations, or stand-out regions, which are capable of producing better wines than the generic Languedoc appellations. Corbières-Boutenac achieved cru status in 2005.
Lighter Champagne bottles, and biomass potential
The Champenois have officially launched a lighter glass bottle, aimed at cutting carbon emissions. They’ve calculated a reduction from 900 grams per bottle to 835 grams could result in an 8,000 tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions.
Non-French oak has its say
French oak from centuries-old forests has asserted its dominance in the wine world with aplomb and skill as well as price premium, but it wasn’t always thus. The Bordelais used to be more than happy with Hungarian and Baltic oak, and a comeback for non-French wood is being quietly asserted.
Tasmania sparkles
Tasmania is without doubt Australia’s coolest region, and as a result the state provides the fruit for many of the country’s bubblies. Indeed roughly a quarter of Tassie’s grape production ends up as sparklers.
Wine quality: tasting and selection, Keith Grainger
Part of the food industry briefing series which “distils the subject matter of the topic, providing its essence for easy and speedy assimilation.” Grainger explores wine under this brief.
