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I wondered whether I should write about our new selection of burgundies from Jean-Claude Boisset because we have asked our three stores to not display them until October 1. It does, however, give me a reason to mention “travel shock”. I am anxious to...

Of course I could have said that we haven’t primitivo-ed (Italian) or crljenak kastelanski-ed (Croatian) for a while, as both are considered the DNA match for the grape that Californians call zinfandel. Today, I will not be writing about the pink ver...

I know that it is an old joke, but many fine wines definitely improve with age; the older I get the more I like them! I would hazard that most are made for the 96 per cent of us that consume the wines that we buy within 24 hours and for many of these...

One of the questions that I am most frequently asked is, why do bottles of wine vary so much in price? Among the many answers is the output of an acre of vineyard. It takes 600 to 800 grapes to make one bottle of wine. One tonne will give you about 6...

I have heard about a few news stories referring to a worldwide shortage of high quality rosé wines. Last summer, one account read: “The Hamptons are bracing for a devastating shortage of Whispering Angel. Maybe by Labour Day.” I have mentioned that ...

It might be a good time to consider what may be the best wines to accompany Bermuda fish sandwiches. Our treat used to be to enjoy such fare with our young sons, often at a place in St David’s named after a very dark member of the genus equus and sad...

In 1990 it was in eighth place, but by doubling in acreage by 2010 cabernet sauvignon stood at the very top; in that same time frame chardonnay tripled and is now fifth overall. So for all of you non-ABC folks (anything but cabernet or chardonnay) I ...

When I was new to this trade in the 1970s, Chianti was sold in inexpensive, straw-covered “fiascos” that often ended up as candle holders. The law required that as well as the classic Tuscan Sangiovese grape, Canaiolo and two white varieties called ...

The history of the vineyards that surround the town of Chablis is a long one as they were planted by the early Romans about 2,000 years ago. The soils of clay, chalk and billions of oyster shells from a Jurassic-era sea, impart a “gunflint” and “ste...

The first job that Samuele Sebastiani had in his new country was hauling stones in a horse-drawn cart from Sonoma to San Francisco, using a ferry to cross the bridgeless bay. He saved his money and in 1904 made his first 500 gallon batch of wine. He...