During the past month I have attended three in-depth tastings at Decanter magazine, covering wines and vintages that are just now coming onto the market. These tastings are of course blind, but the vintage and appellations are known, so comparisons are fairly tight. The tasters are drawn from specialists in each region, always a smattering of Masters of Wine (MWs), and wines that have received ..Read More >>

Posted in: Wines, French Wine | Comment (0) >>

Blog: Steven Spurrier

"Our vineyards cover only 4% of the whole region, but represent 34% of wines sales and 95% of the estates are family-owned".  This statement made at a morning conference at Vinexpo (the world's largest wine trade fair) in Bordeaux last June did not refer to the Haut-Medoc, but to the Napa Valley.  Family ownership seemed the over-riding theme to this bi-annual jamboree,

..Read More >>

Posted in: Wines, French Wine | Comment (0) >>

Blog: Steven Spurrier


Burgundy – the 2007 vintage

Each year in January, the UK wine trade holds a series of tastings of the last but one vintage in Burgundy .  Over two weeks, literally thousands of wines are tasted by the trade and Press and much of the wine is sold at that time.  The most exciting vintage in recent years was far and away 2005, but the 2006s were well received, especially the ..Read More >>

Posted in: Wines, Wine Education, Wine Awareness, Wine, White Wine, Red Wine, Old World Wines, French Wine | Comment (1) >>