Hutchins Wine Academy

20/06/2026

Wine Confidence Tip 🍷 Does vintage (the year on the bottle) actually matter? Short answer: yes and no.

These 6 in the photo? Vintage matters enormously. Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé, Burgundy Premier Cru, classic Margaux - wines built to develop in the bottle over years, sometimes decades. The year is part of the story and also is important to know the quality of the starting point - the grapes the year of harvest.

But that’s roughly 10% of all wine. The other 90% is meant to be drunk young, and for those, the vintage barely matters. A few signals you’re holding one of these:

- Screw cap (a strong hint it’s made for freshness, not aging)
- Everyday price point
- Light, fresh styles: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, rosé, Beaujolais, young Pinot Noir, young Grenache

Rule of thumb: if you’re standing in a shop wondering whether the year matters - it might not. But ten seconds Googling the wine never hurts.

17/06/2026

What to expect when you’re expecting… a wine retreat. 🍷

Five days in coastal Alentejo. Four wine masterclasses. Wild Atlantic beaches fifteen minutes away. A breathtaking valley that stops you in your tracks the moment you arrive. An inspiring winemaker and vineyard visit. Meals rooted in a Portuguese grandmother’s recipes. A golden hour wine tasting as the sky turns pink.

Oh, and somewhere in between all of that - whatever your level, you arrive at a deeper level of wine confidence to take home.

What exactly happens? I wrote about it in the latest Substack. Link below 👇.

October 1–5, 2026 · Vale das Estrelas , Portugal · A few spots left.

15/06/2026

This is our backyard in Portugal 🇵🇹☀️🏖️

Find cliffside hikes, surf beaches, and stylish new boutique hotels far from the Algarve crowds. Learn more at the link in the comments ⬇️

13/06/2026

Summer vibes Nuuk ☀️🍷

11/06/2026

Wine Confidence Tip 🍷 Natural wine is trending. But what exactly does “natural” mean?

Here’s what many don’t know: natural wine has no legal definition. Unlike organic or biodynamic -which have proper certification processes - anyone can put “natural” on a label.

In practice it refers to a philosophy of low intervention winemaking. Native yeasts, minimal sulfites, no fining or filtering. The idea is to let the wine express itself without manipulation. The result can be extraordinary —- alive, textural, genuinely different. But the description alone guarantees nothing about quality.

My take as a sommelier - a great natural wine should still taste like a great wine. Funky or “off” flavors aren’t a badge of authenticity.

And because there’s no rulebook, natural wines can be wildly idiosyncratic. Just because you know the grape or the region doesn’t mean you know what’s in the glass.

The only way to know is to try it for yourself. Here’s one I loved 👇

07/06/2026

35 years ago he was my professor. This May, Bob Lauterborn sat in MY classroom during the wine retreat Vale das Estrelas . I’ve written about what happened. Link in comments 👇

06/06/2026

We’ve all been there!

05/06/2026

Wine Confidence Tip 🍷 There is no such thing as a sulfite free wine.

A friend asked me about a bottle the other day marketed as exactly that. My immediate reaction: impossible!

Here’s why.
Every wine contains sulfites. White, red, rosé, sparkling, sweet. Every single one. Sulfites occur naturally as a byproduct of fermentation. A truly sulfite-free wine does not exist. “No added sulfites” means no extra was added - but natural sulfites are always there.

Why would sulfites be added?
Winemakers have been adding sulfur dioxide for centuries to prevent oxidation and spoilage. The Romans burned sulfur candles in their wine vessels to preserve them. It’s not a modern chemical intervention. It’s one of the oldest winemaking practices in the world.

And here’s the surprise - if you’ve been avoiding red wine because of sulfites, you may have been avoiding the wrong thing. White wines often have more added sulfites than reds. And sweet wines typically have the highest levels of all. The wine most likely to be high in sulfites isn’t a big tannic red. It’s a dessert wine.

As for the headache - the science points more to histamines, tannins, and…. Ahem….alcohol, than sulfites.

This 1998 Rioja is still alive and beautiful nearly 30 years later. Preservation working exactly as it should. 🍷

03/06/2026

Look at this. 👀🍷

Our 1-5 October 2026 Wine Retreat is open for bookings - and we’ve just locked in our 2027 dates too at Vale das Estrelas

5 days. 4 masterclasses. 50+ wines. Coastal Alentejo, Portugal.

1–5 October 2026
29 Apr–3 May 2027
7–11 Oct 2027

Spaces are limited. DM or email [email protected] to reserve your spot today!

03/06/2026

Look at this. 👀🍷

Our 1-5 October 2026 Wine Retreat is open for bookings - and we’ve just locked in our 2027 dates too Vale das Estrelas

5 days. 4 masterclasses. 50+ wines. Coastal Alentejo, Portugal.

1–5 October 2026
29 Apr–3 May 2027
7–11 Oct 2027

Spaces are limited. DM, email [email protected] or go to the website to book your spot today.