Varietal Decoded – Gamay!
Gamay or Gamay Noir is the mainstay of Beaujolais. It has a 600 year history with Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc its parents.
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Varietal Decoded – Chardonnay!
Chardonnay has incredible versatility and can be picked over quite a wide range of sugar levels and flavour ripeness.
The variety takes its name from the village of Chardonnay near Uchizy in the Mâconnais, in southern Burgundy.
Varietal Decoded – Pinot Noir!
Pinot Noir’s mythical home, Burgundy, has produced some of the world’s most inspiring wines.
The exhilarating personality of Pinot Noir has seen the wine world take up the fickle challenge to grow the ‘heartbreak grape’!
Varietal Decoded – Barbera!
Barbera, pronounced bar-BER-uh, was one of the great wine travesties of our time.
The increasing popularity and price of Nebbiolo wines, particularly Barolo and Barbaresco, saw old plantings of Barbera in the great sites ripped out and replanted to Nebbiolo.
Varietal Decoded – Nebbiolo!
Nebbiolo, pronounced NEH-bee-oh-low, is such a unique variety.
Good Nebbiolo has a core of fruit running the length of your tongue, along with layers of those same secondary characters.
Nebbiolo’s grape tannins give it a distinct texture. Look for the quality and depth of tannin.
Varietal Decoded – Dolcetto!
Dolcetto’s, pronounced dole-CHET-toe, translates to ‘Little Sweet’.
Hit the restaurants in Alba at lunchtime and you’ll see plenty of Dolcetto on the table.
The great estates of Barolo, naturally make great Dolcetto.
Myth Proven: Why do Magnums of Champagne Taste Better?
Ask anyone in the know & they’ll tell you Mag’s of Champagne Taste BETTER!
… and it’s not just because there is twice as much to go around!
Getting Your Head Around Barolo “The 8 Cru’s of Giovanni Sordo”
Exploring 8 Cru’s from Across Barolo is a great way to get your head around the region. Add the input of Neb-Head, David Ridge & you’re in for some fun!
Watch 🎥for the full experience with flyover maps of the communes & more! Listen 🎧 if the NBN is annoying you!
The Bewildering Array of Sweet German Rieslings from the Mosel
Even the most dedicated wine geek often has trouble getting their head around the German naming systems, something they’ve been working on simplifying!
Q&A with Paul: “Do winemakers need to add tartaric acid to keep it fresh and age-worthy?”
Thanks for the question Andrew!
We explore why we add acid to wine, looking at the chemistry, and, impact on taste, as well as how it will affect the wines ability to age.
What is Noble Rot? AKA Botrytis
Botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot” is a fungus that colonizes the grape and causes water to evaporate through the skin of the fruit.
Under the perfect conditions with the right amount of humidity and heat Botrytis will transform the grapes into “drops of gold”.
Getting Your Head Around Sicily’s Mount Etna
Etna is at once both a fossil and a piece of modern art!
Vines aged from 70-120 years old grow on the slopes of a volcano at altitudes that make noses bleed.
Getting Your Head Around the Yarra Valley
A short long history. From the Pioneers in the 1800’s to those who rejuvenated the Yarra Valley in the 1960’s and the new wave from the 1990’s to today, the Yarra Valley is making the best wines it has ever made.
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 9 – The Village of Chambolle, Morey, Gevrey
We explore the Geology, Geography and Wines of the Côte de Nuits Villages: Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 5 – The White Village of Meursault
We explore the Geology, Geography and Wines of the Côte de Beaune Village, Meursault
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 4 – The White(ish) Villages of Chassagne-Montrachet, Pugliny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin
We explore the Geology, Geography and Wines of the Côte de Beaune Villages: Chassagne-Montrachet, Pugliny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin
Wine Decoded Tasting Revolution: Bite 1 – Depth & Length
Today we’re looking at the value of tasting in Context & with Contrast & we’re covering the first two things to look at when you’re trying to work out whether a wine is any good.
Depth or Concentration and Length or Persistence.
Wine Decoded Tasting Revolution: Bite 2 – Balance & Complexity
This session we’re covering Balance tasting four versions of the same wine, and, we’ll have a chat about Complexity.
Wine Decoded Tasting Revolution: Bite 3 – Freshness & Development
We’ve covered 2 pairs of elements so far: Concentration & Persistence; and Balance and Complexity. Remember you can always go back to the session and do it again to refresh your memory!
This session we’re covering the 3rd pair: Freshness & Development.
Q&A with Paul: “How does the percentage of new oak affect wine?”
Don’t get hung up the numbers, the numbers can lie! Taste it, looking for balance!
Q&A with Paul: “Where do You Stand as far as No Addition So-Called “Natural Wines” are Concerned?”
Mike Bennie on our article “Definitive and balanced. Rare to see in the ‘debate’. Kudos. Should frame it!”
Just How Does Sulphur Affect Wine? + A Pro Tip for Buying Old Wine
Most of the articles you see about how wine develops in the bottle over time explore the standard evolution of a single wine.
Taking this one step further, I started an experiment 18 years ago. Today you get to see the results.
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 3 – Get it in your Gob. Tasting the Villages, Classifications, the Phases of Ageing
During an impromptu tasting of Burgundies from Stéphane Magnien we got to explore the Villages of Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny & Gevrey-Chambertin. Comparison of the 3 offering great insights into Burgundy in the glass!
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 2 – Tiny Old Vines & Heaps of them!
As you drive down the A6 from Paris, turn off at the N74 you start to see grape vines. Initially, you think you’ve gone a little cross-eyed from the long flight. Then you realise your eyes aren’t lying the vines are minute and packed close together!
Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 1 – Vineyards, Classifications & Villages
This will be the first in many articles to help you understand Burgundy, the mythical home of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.
Understanding Burgundy Starts with the Different Villages & After that it Just Keeps Getting Better!
You haven’t lived until you’ve swum through a vat of vino! BUCKET LIST!
If swimming through a vat of vino isn’t on your bucket list, stop reading this now. Go and write it down … RIGHT NOW!
The Sommelier is Dead, Long Live Rob Higgs!! A Fantasmagorical Creation
Creativity & passion, like an alien, has inseminated Rob Higgs‘ brain! He has given birth to a fantasmagorical creation. It is the replacement for the Sommelier!