Finding St Emilion’s Hidden treasures (even without a Name)

Not far from St Emilion, one of the France's most well-known wine villages, lies a simple family winery that has withstood the test of time. Leaving the village and passing infront of the prestigious classified Château Pavie, then Larcis Ducass and Bellefont Belcier, take the next on the right at the crossroads - its the …

A for Amphora, learning Bordeaux’s new ageing alphabet

The new wine is now ready, and I love visiting the warm chais (above ground cellars in Bordeaux) this time of year when the leaves are turning golden and temperatures are autumnal. The wine has taken all it needs from the skins which have now been removed. The wine is now ready for the next …

Harvest 2019 Bordeaux with lots of smiles

The sun is shining today after some much needed rain which fell in short sharp bursts since last weekend (21/22 Sept). Its Sunday (29 Sept) and no-one is rushing to harvest. Gone are the days where the stress impelled producers to harvest in a rush over a few days that ran on from each other. …

Visiting Rioja Top Addresses from a Wine Lover

The wine region of Rioja is not far from Bordeaux and some of my clients go there first or after a few days of wine touring with me in Bordeaux. The region is much more arid and the grape variety is mostly Tempranillo (though it is known as the Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon) but the wine …

2019 Bordeaux Summer Heat Wave

  To deleaf or not is the question this year in Bordeaux. There is a lot of vegetation yet the risk of scorch with the exceptionally hot temperatures has been high. In Bordeaux luckily mostly the leaves have been left on the vines so far and act like an umbrella covering the pea sized grapes …

New Varieties to be added to the Bordeaux Melting Pot to combat global warming

IN an attempt to combat the rising heat due to global warming; new varieties approved were approved recently at the syndicate’s annual general meeting Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superior were four reds, Arinarnoa, Touriga Nacional (portuguese), Marselan and Castets, and three whites, Alvarinho (found in Spain and Portugal), Petit Manseng (Jurancon) and Liliorila. The vines were …

Picnic Lunch in the heart of St Emilion – and a glass of bubbly!

St Emilion is a magical place with its myriad of little cobbled streets that lead past its many historical monuments. Les Cordeliers is not as well-known as St Emilion's famous monolithic church (hewn out of the creamy limestone by Benedictine monks over 300 years from 9th to 12th century) - but its been a favorite …

Wine Touring in Bordeaux? Here are some top tips to know

Bordeaux, UNESCO registered since 2007, is undoubtedly the world’s wine capital. It is well worth visiting along with its vineyards which are France’s largest with 60 different appellations and around 8,000 châteaux. Although the region produces a range of wines including dry and sweet white, rosé and even sparkling – Bordeaux is known for its red wines. The best …

A Short History of Armagnac

The growing of vines goes all the way back to the Romans and the mosaics discovered in the remains of the Gallo-Roman villas in the Gers bear witness to this heritage. Much later, towards the end of the sixth century, the Vascons invaded the country that was to carry their name, becoming the Duchy of …

Behind the Pink Walls on the Route de Châteaux in the Medoc

My first ever visit to the hallowed vineyards of the Medoc was in the early 1980s, when I was 16 years old. It was to Château Siran with its dusky pink buildings just off the D2 Route de Châteaux. I remember ascending this simple road in this flat landscape with these wonderful châteaux that appeared …