 Flying WinemakersWe've all heard of flying winemakers - just like Matt Thomson who makes Alpha Zeta - but who exactly are they, where do they come from, and most importantly, do they have their own wings?
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Greek Gossip - A Rough Guide!
When Kate and I attended SITT (Specialist Import Trade Tastings - basically an opportunity to meet new suppliers and drink with old friends) tasting in February, the last thing we thought we'd do is come away with a new supplier of Greek wines - in fact we only tasted them out of some sort of sense of duty! But the Greek wines shown that day blew us away and launched us on a new crusade to get everyone drinking these unique but brilliant tipples.
We've all had our rough-red-wine-from-a-petrol-can nightmares in Greek tavernas, but when you dig beneath these horrors you find a plethora of fascinating wines, boosted by a new generation of winemakers injecting life into the Geek wine scene.
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Ten Tips for a Top Wine Fair
A quick guide to get the most out of a fantastic evening
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How to Order Wine in a Restaurant
I love sitting down in a restaurant and being handed a lovely leather bound folder full of interesting wines to choose from (my wife gets very bored!), but I know a lot of you find reataurant lists confusing, pricy and even a little scary. Well, it's time I tried to de-mystify the experience!
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Mallorcan Wine
Mallorca has had a wine industry for quite some time, it appears to date back to 121 BC when Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius took possession of the island for Rome, but it was as phylloxera (that awful louse that destroyed vines all over the world in the mid 19th century) began to wipe out vineyards in France that Mallorcan wines experienced a new popularity.
France was forced to import huge quantities of wine from its neighbours which included this small island, and demand almost started to exceed production until 1891 when the pesky louse reached the island from Rioja and created havoc here in the same way it did in France. It was a slow process of recovery for the industry, not helped by World War One and the Spanish Civil War and it wasn't until the sixties that things started to get back on track. In recent years there has been a real improvement in the quality of wines being produced here. Click here to read more
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Rise of the Rose
As the temperatures start to rise and the sun begins to shine I notice how more and more customers opt for a bottle of the pink stuff. I'm sure you'll be aware that over the last few years rose wine is fast gaining ground in the popularity stakes and it now sits proudly between the Chablis & the Sauvignon Blancs on many a shop shelf as well as finding its way onto the swankiest of restaurant lists.
If you're a rose fan (even if you won't admit it) here's the low-down on what's what….Click here to read more |  |
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Meltdown - The Implications of Climate Change on the World of Wine
We're all made well aware every day that the climate is changing and a brief look at our own weather over the last couple of years will surely convince anyone that global warming is unavoidable. But what are the effects on a wine industry which is so reliant on the climate?
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Germany - Its not all Blue Nun you know!
First of all, lets dispel a myth. These wines are not all sweet. Sure, some of the finest sweet wines in the world are German Rieslings, but there a huge number of excellent dry wines out there. All you need to do is avoid the artificially "medium" styles of Liebfraumilch and Piesporter (which are responsible for Germany's bad reputation), which lack the acidity to balance the sugar, and you'll be on to a winner!
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Sherry - Not Just for your Gran!
Having spent hours this month pouring over books about sherry, I though it fitting to write a short piece about the merits of this wonderful wine. I know it has a granny image but we've been flying the sherry flag for quite some time now and it appears that although the UK market as a whole is declining this decline is actually showing signs of slowing up. Hurrah!
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'Waiter, there's a fly in my wine...' How to spot a dodgy bottle.
We've all heard the old joke about everyone wanting one, but how exactly do you identify a faulty glass of wine, and what should you do about it? I've learnt a few things myself researching this, so read on and be enlightened.
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Australia's Regional Revolution
Australia has become well known for its big branded blockbusters and great marketing of consumer friendly wines. However, I can safely say that although they do all that very well there is a lot more to them than this
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Spain - The Undiscovered Land
Everyone loves Rioja, and some even like Cava, but for many people, that’s where Spanish wine ends and begins. It’s time to change all that – Spain is an undiscovered country full of hidden wine gems and well worth exploring, full of hidden gems and great bargains.
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The Art of matching Food and Wine
If there’s one aspect of wine which many people view with the same trepidation as a minefield, it’s matching food and wine. There’s an impression that it’s a dark art best left to sommeliers in fine restaurants (or so they’d like you to believe) but with a little knowledge of the basics, anyone can find a great combination.
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Kate's Valentines tips - finding that perfect love match
Here’s what not to do: Call your wife/girlfriend and tell her you’re going to meet your mates for a drink in the pub. Leave her happily preparing a very delicious romantic meal. Get heavily involved in the conversation in the pub, say yes to a couple more offers of drinks then realise the time. Get back home late, feeling a little squiffy, embrace your wife/girlfriend, comment on the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. Relax on the sofa, close your eyes for just a minute…and guess what…..wake up around midnight.
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Psychic Reserve - Our Predictions for the Year Ahead
Our look at the year ahead:
2008 looks set to be a big year in many ways for the wine world, and like so ,many others, we at Reserve have been thinking about the coming months and what they hold in store. Here are our predictions (and tips) on what’s coming your way.
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Wine - The New Health Craze?
Okay, so it’s the new year, traditionally a time for abstinence, dieting and getting healthy after the Christmas over-indulgence. But had you considered that wine could be an essential part of a healthy diet, and may even hold those winter sniffles at bay?
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Champagne Cocktails - Spice up your Festive Fizz
Why not have some fun this New Year and impress all your friends with a few champagne cocktails – the perfect way to spice up your festive fizz! These are all delicious and easy to make, and will bring a smile to everyone’s face.
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Champagne - Fizz or the Real Thing?
The traditional method of producing sparkling wine, as developed in the Champagne region of France, has been widely adopted around the world to produce a large variety of styles and colours of wine. The inherent practices involved in this method are both its strengths and its weaknesses....
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Piemonte - The Taste of Autumn
The days are getting shorter, autumn is drawing in, and I find myself reaching for a bottle of Barolo. Somehow, autumn and the wines of Piemonte (or the Piedmont) are a perfect match. White truffles, hearty risottos and the earthy beauty of the regions’ red wines really are the essence of the fall.
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Portugal - The Mystery Explained
Over the next few weeks I’m working closely with Wines of Portugal to promote the image of Portuguese wines. In the past I think Portugal has been more famous for its thin acidic wines rather than its interesting, eclectic range of indigenous grape varieties. Due to relative geographical isolation and poor funds the Portuguese fell behind whilst other areas of the wine industry boomed
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How to Make Wine - The Science Behind the Art
I would love to make wine, although in reality I think I’m attracted to the romantic idea of making wine, the arty side of creating something that gives so much pleasure (well hopefully it would be a pleasurable experience) to its end user. I like the idea of mooching through vineyards looking pensive and casual, tending to my grapes. In reality winemaking is hard work… and the actual winemaking process is really rather scientific and meticulous. A careful balance of control versus natural expression & development.
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How to Read a Wine Label
One of the greatest challenges when buying wine is working out what is in the bottle you are purchasing - that is, reading and understanding the label.
A principle reason for the success of ‘New World’ wines is the clarity of their labelling, especially when contrasted to that of some of the more traditional regions. This simple practice of telling the customer what is in the bottle is now spreading to some areas of Europe....
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How to Serve Wine
Is there any better sound than the ‘pop’ of wine being uncorked, or the gentle sigh released by a bottle of champagne? The ceremony of opening and serving wine is for many people an essential part of the wine experience, but for others it’s a minefield of spilt liquid and broken windows. The following tips should put an end to your nightmares.....
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How to Taste like a Professional
Would you like to get more from your wine?, understand a little bit about what you’re drinking, why it’s priced as it is and whether it justifies £10 of your hard earned cash. Well I thought I’d pop down a few notes about why wine tasting, or just thinking about what’s in your glass, will enhance your drinking experience. This doesn’t mean that I get all poncy and serious, for me wine tasting is fun and pleasurable (unless it’s a final question in a wine exam and the difference between a pass or a fail!)............
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Christmas - A Festival of Wine
For those of us who worship the vine, Christmas is a special time; a brilliant excuse (as if we needed one) to crack open some special bottles, to wow our friends with some amazing and unusual gifts, and to practice that darkest of arts – matching wine with food.
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![Rosebank 1991 [Lowland]](Rosebank.jpg)
![Ledaig, 1990 [Islands]](Ledaig.jpg)
