Wine Talks and Tastings

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Wine Talks and Tastings

Professional (WSET Certified) W**e Educator and blogger

05/09/2026

500 and Counting

I doubt whether many w**e lovers will recognise the grape name Pais but it holds a special place in the minds of w**e historians. For the variety, also known as Criolla, is thought to be descended from vines raised from the seeds of grapes imported by the Spanish conquistadors. That dates its arrival in Central and South America to the first half of the 16th century and means that it has been grown across Mexico, Chile and Argentina for almost 500 years without a break....

I doubt whether many w**e lovers will recognise the grape name Pais but it holds a special place in the minds of w**e historians. For the variety, also known as Criolla, is thought to be desc…

29/08/2026

W**e for 12th Night?

The Canary Islands are a popular destination for British holidaymakers attracted to a climate offering warmth and sunshine, even during the winter months. But, with the Islands’ position off the west coast of Africa at latitudes in the upper 20s, few would expect to find any interesting local w**es. Yet they’ve been making w**e there for centuries and, although virtually unknown now in the UK, were so popular in Shakespeare’s time, that he even mentioned them by name in Twelfth Night! ...

The Canary Islands are a popular destination for British holidaymakers attracted to a climate offering warmth and sunshine, even during the winter months. But, with the Islands’ position off the w…

22/08/2026

Bring Me Surprises

We love sharing delicious food and interesting w**e with special friends and, with the custom of the visitors bringing a bottle (or two!), it’s always good to see what they have chosen when we’re hosts. Most of our friends will bring something they enjoy that they know to be attractive and reliable but, just occasionally, someone brings along a bottle that is either new to me or, at least, something I haven’t tasted for a long time....

We love sharing delicious food and interesting w**e with special friends and, with the custom of the visitors bringing a bottle (or two!), it’s always good to see what they have chosen when we’re h…

08/08/2026

Brunello’s Little Brother

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s iconic w**es – and for ‘iconic’, read ‘expensive’! Even the (always good value) W**e Society’s own label example is around £30 and, if you want a bottle from one of the top producers, then think £50 easily, perhaps £100; the sky’s the limit. So, what’s the attraction? A big, powerful, chunky, alcoholic red with lovely Sangiovese character and plenty of well-integrated oak notes. ...

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s iconic w**es – and for ‘iconic’, read ‘expensive’! Even the (always good value) W**e Society’s own label example is around £30 and, if you want a bottle fr…

01/08/2026

Thinking of Bordeaux

For w**e lovers, there is just one story that catches our attention every time we turn on a TV or radio news broadcast: the catastrophic wildfires raging close to Bordeaux. And, for those of us living in Bristol, there is an added significance: Bordeaux is one of Bristol’s Twin Cities and one that my wife and I know quite well. So far, there have been no reports of vineyards being directly affected by the flames, although smoke taint has proved to be an issue following fires elsewhere, especially in California, and may turn out to be a problem later in the year here, too. ...

For w**e lovers, there is just one story that catches our attention every time we turn on a TV or radio news broadcast: the catastrophic wildfires raging close to Bordeaux. And, for those of us li…

25/07/2026

Chilling Reds?

Our summer of heatwaves – 3 so far and we’re still only in July – is not only affecting our plans, but also changing the way we’re eating: fewer hot meals, more lighter dishes, more cold food, and salads rather than hot vegetables. And that, in turn, is having an impact on what we’re choosing to drink. More whites and rosés, obviously – they will always work better with food like this and, of course, are served chilled – a real plus when the temperature is close to 30°C, even well into the evenings....

Our summer of heatwaves – 3 so far and we’re still only in July – is not only affecting our plans, but also changing the way we’re eating: fewer hot meals, more lighter dishes, more cold food, and …

17/07/2026

W**e by Sail

200 years ago, Bristol harbour would have been full of sailing ships bringing goods from all around the world. But then steam-power took over from sail before more recent inventions made both obsolete. Then, as vessels grew larger and larger, the harbour could no longer accommodate them and, from the 1960s onwards, began the gradual conversion from commercial port to the pleasure harbour it is today....

200 years ago, Bristol harbour would have been full of sailing ships bringing goods from all around the world. But then steam-power took over from sail before more recent inventions made both…

10/07/2026

100 and Counting!

It’s quite a while since I qualified for membership of the W**e Century Club (www.w**ecentury.com) – a club for w**e lovers who have tasted w**es made from at least 100 different grape varieties. As a result, it’s pretty rare that I find a grape variety I’ve never come across before. But we visited the Clifton Food and W**e Fair at the weekend and there it was on a stand offering free tastings: a bottle of Merwah. ...

https://w**etalksandtastings.wordpress.com/2026/07/10/100-and-counting/

It’s quite a while since I qualified for membership of the W**e Century Club (www.w**ecentury.com) – a club for w**e lovers who have tasted w**es made from at least 100 different grape varieties. …

02/07/2026

Ungrafted Vines

The bottle from Cyprus I blogged about a couple of weeks ago had the words ‘ungrafted vines’ on the back label – a reference to an event in w**e history that was nearly the end of w**e as we know it. At one time, all w**e was made from ungrafted vines – that is, the whole vine from the deepest root to the newest shoot were all part of the same plant....

The bottle from Cyprus I blogged about a couple of weeks ago had the words ‘ungrafted vines’ on the back label – a reference to an event in w**e history that was nearly the end of w**e as we know i…

26/06/2026

Beaujolais – but different

Every w**e lover has surely heard of Beaujolais - it is one of the most recognisable names on the w**e shelves. From the familiar flower-patterned labels of the biggest producer, Georges Duboeuf, to the regular annual marketing campaigns for Beaujolais Nouveau, the name is constantly in front of us. And what of the w**es themselves? Always approachable, these light-bodied, fruity, easy-drinking, low-tannin reds are undoubtedly crowd-pleasers, even if most of them are not among the most complex or memorable....

Every w**e lover has surely heard of Beaujolais – it is one of the most recognisable names on the w**e shelves. From the familiar flower-patterned labels of the biggest producer, Georges Du…

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