South African Burgundy
Yes, I know! Before you report me to the French Wine Police who are particularly active re Champagne, but also protective of other great...
Historic Somontano & a bodega with modernity at its core
Forgive me if you've heard this before, but I do believe it's worth saying again – I've never tasted a poor wine from DO...
Tips for buying wine in Spain
Recently I needed to buy 15 different bottles of Spanish wine – three for guests coming to our house, and twelve to take to...
El Salze – Monastrell, and some!
It’s just two years since I was invited to taste a new wine from Bodegas Vins del Comtat within the hallowed portals of DOP...
Sekts education!
I know - sorry, but I couldn’t resist it!
I remember being somewhat ambivalent about sex education when I was a testosterone charged (charging?) 14...
Orange wine and black Chardonnay
Bodegas Pigar, whose co-founder (recently, and with his father), Juan Piqueras, International Wine & Spirits Competition gold medal winning wine-maker (when working for another...
La guerre des vins and its implications
I'm quite sure that the perpetrators of the recent (Jan. 2017), surely criminal, acts of vandalism targeting Spanish bulk wine tankers just over the...
Celebrating the end of ‘La Crisis’
After twenty years in the Spanish Wine World, which has included countless winery visits, I suppose it's inevitable that some of the people who...
People and institutions of the year
Continuing with the long-established tradition, this, one of my final articles of 2016, is about the prime movers involved in the world of Spanish...
Misogyny in the wine sector
How are you?
Me? Well, thanks for asking. Actually I’m feeling a little metaphorically battered and bruised to be honest. And, talking of being honest,...
DOP Bullas takes its place on both national & international stages
My third opportunity to visit and taste the wines of DOP Bullas occurred recently when I was once again invited to join the panel...
Tim Ladd – An Obituary
I’m writing this Cork Talk on the night before I’m taking a flight to Southampton to join a Fred Olsen cruise, where I’ll be...
Spanish wines for the Chinese New Year
Fortuitously (like the cookies?) this year's Chinese New Year fell on the weekend of one of the Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine programmes on...
Classic Rioja is hard to beat!
In my view, there's Rioja, and there's Rioja!
Commentators like myself, and others far more eminent than 'little' me, have expressed concerns about the standard...
POPULAR NEWS
Benidorm locks-up again
To avoid residents from other regions breaking the lockdown and trying to reach holiday apartments in Benidorm this May 1 holiday weekend, local authorities...
Deep snow in Alicante province
With the north of Alicante province still on red alert for snow today (Monday), around half a metre has fallen in Banyeres de Mariola...
Brexit passport rule changes
BRITISH people travelling within the European Union should be aware passport validity rules will change after December 31 because of Brexit.
During the current transition...
