I think it’s hilarious. Every year, when the sun stays out for more than a few hours, one of my friends changes into the ‘Taste of Summer’ monster. So when offered a beer he responds “It’s summer-time, I need something lighter and fruitier – maybe with bubbles.” I have figured out over the years that, with […]
Bordeaux 2017 (#3 of 3) This Post is related to (General Overview) and (Left Bank tasting) as part of the Green Acres team trip to Bordeaux 2017 En Primeur week. Continuing my description, I will focus on our tastings in the Chateaux we visited on the Right Bank. List of Chateaux Visited During Bordeaux 2017 En […]
Bordeaux 2017 (#2 of 3) This Post is related to (General Overview) and (Right Bank tasting) as part of the Green Acres team trip to Bordeaux 2017 En Primeur week. Continuing my description, I will focus on our tastings in Chateau La Misson Haut Brion and the other Chateaux we visited on the Left Bank. […]
Bordeaux 2017 (#1 of 3) Due to the unusual weather conditions during the 2017 growing season, I had anticipated that our tasting of Bordeaux 2017 en primeur (EP2017) was going to be an interesting experience. And I was right, it is not a harmonious vintage. The Green Acres team headed over to Bordeaux recently and […]
You might have read Donal’s en primeur (EP) trilogy of blog posts last year (here, here and here) and may have come across the term in subsequent posts and articles. This year we decided to invite a ‘non-wine-expert’ to accompany us on our recent 2017 EP tasting trip. This is his account of same […]
I am rephrasing this heading from an old Washington Post article because it describes my sentiment about French Brandy, perfectly. If we’re talking old school, then brandy was traditionally seen as a drink to enjoy after dinner, perhaps with a coffee or paired with a cigar. If you’re my age you’ll remember that in old […]
Yes, I did answer my own question about the usefulness of grape varieties in the heading but I would like to explain my answer to you in a little more detail. I intend to do so in the rest of this post but if you’re only going to read these first 2 paragraphs, here’s the […]
Some people dismiss the importance of wine vintages purely because they don’t understand them or are confused by them. The confusion is obvious when you hear questions such as “does vintage mean old and expensive; is the vintage the year that the wine is bottled? Is it the year that the wine is made or […]
I was reading through Paula’s blog post from last year wherein she mentioned that I helped her choose her blog topic by asking her this question “what is the most frequently asked question by your friends when chatting about wine?” Well, I asked myself this question just now and decided that I would write this […]
Have you ever been in a restaurant, hosted a dinner party, or sat on the couch with your partner and opened a bottle of wine? Of course, you have. Have you had a quick sniff of the first glass and thought – “hmmm, that smells a bit different” – but you’re not sure about it […]
At any time of the year, discovering special wines and matching food is a tricky subject as the choice of taste, and what goes with what, ultimately comes down to personal preference. So instead of me prescribing certain wines for drinking/pairing with your Christmas dinner this year, I’m going to suggest some alternatives that might […]
Ever since our trip to the Bordeaux’s right bank during this year’s harvest (September), I’ve been meaning to post this article. My colleagues, James and Paula O’Connor and I popped over to meet old friends, do some tasting and learn about the 2017 Bordeaux harvest. I have copious notes and images from the trip (too […]