David

Football and Wine

The press is reporting that Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is considering becoming a wine importer when he retires. Ferguson has always been a connoisseur of the finest wines and is famed for sharing a bottle with rival managers after matches, and the Scot is known for splashing out £5,000 on a case of his … Read more

Fine Wine Scams, Frauds and Dodgy Deals

As I mentioned in my Blog on Friday I recently came across a dodgy deal and promised to warn you about it. With the fine wine market booming there seem to be no end of suspect companies setting up in business and taxing the wallets of would be investors which infuriates me. Investing in wine is … Read more

Bordeaux 2009 En Primeur Summary

Leading up to the recent tastings in Bordeaux I had received several emails and telephone calls as well as reading articles from the wine world which said that the 2009 vintage was exceptional, far better than the 2005, and it was heralded as the vintage of the decade, maybe the century. So I was therefore really … Read more

Ireland and Bordeaux

With Saint Patrick’s Day fast approaching I thought it would be fitting to have a look at the Irish heritage in Bordeaux. Irish Catholics fled to Bordeaux after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and this exodus is known as the Flight of the Wild Geese. Over the next half a century 14,000 Catholic soldiers and … Read more

Discovering Chateau Bel Air

The 2007 Chateau Bel Air comes from the plains of the Entre Deux Mers (which lies between Saint Emilion and Sauternes) and is a Bordeaux Supérieur. The small vineyard is owned by wine makers Sophie and Didier Tordeur and lies on south facing slopes of clay and limestone in Nérigean, on the right bank of the Garonne River. … Read more

Claret Jugs

Having looked into the future of wine bottles last week I thought it would be interesting to look at the past. Claret Jugs were a phenomenon of the Victorian and Edwardian age and were produced from about 1830 to 1920. Nowadays they are very collectible and can be found in a variety of beautiful styles and forms. … Read more

Wine Investment – Left Bank Versus Right Bank Bordeaux

Left Bank and Right Bank are terms that refer to the banks of the River Gironde that flows through Bordeaux. The Left Bank appellations are Pauillac, Saint Estephe, Saint Julien, Margaux and Graves – which includes Pessac Leognan, as such the Left Bank is home to the First Growths Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Haut Brion and Mouton. The Right Bank appellations are Pomerol … Read more

Northern Wines

The press have reported that the first commercially-produced wine from grapes ripened in Scotland is to be launched, if there is enough sunshine. Hotelier Pete Gottgens is setting up Scotland’s first vineyard on the banks of Loch Tay and plans to sell his wine at his Ardeonaig Hotel. Gottgens will produce a white dessert wine and … Read more

Chinese Food is the UK’s Favourite

A poll undertaken by Sharwoods has shown that Chinese food has overtaken Indian food to become Britons’ favourite international cuisine. Chinese dishes such as Sweet & Sour and Chow Mein are now more popular than our old favourite Tikka Masala. Researchers found that 39% cent of people preferred Oriental flavours out of a poll of 3,000 … Read more