Is Zweigelt really supposed to be a serious wine?
Winemakers in Carnuntum have a point to prove when it comes to their single vineyard Zweigelt. Simon asks, is this really the style we want from this grape variety?
Five up-and-coming Slovenian winemakers
Simon profiles five up-and-coming Slovenian winemakers, from four different regions – Emeran Reja from Brda, Fedora from Vipava, Polič from Istra plus Matic & Keltis from Štajerska.
New faces at Raw Fair London
Simon reports back from a typically exciting Raw fair London, full of new discoveries.
The emperor’s nearly new clothes – Vipava’s Rebula
A decade ago, if you could point to the Vipava valley on a map you were probably a paragliding fan. Or you lived there. That’s changing fast though, as the spectacular (and spectacularly windy) valley that runs east-west across western Read more
The Hermit Ram – wild beast of Canterbury
Theo Coles makes naked, stripped down wines in Canterbury, New Zealand which use skin fermentation to achieve magical ends.
Supermarket surprise – Hofer Orange 2017
Austrian supermarket chain Hofer (AKA Aldi) isn’t the first place one expects to find an orange wine for sale. But Waldherr’s “Orange” Sauvignon Blanc 2017 was on the shelves in December.
Two harvests in the Loire: François Blanchard and Olivier Cousin
I don’t know if personality can change a wine, but it can change the feel of a harvest. In September I worked on two vendange teams: two days with François Blanchard and five for Baptiste and Olivier Cousin. And though both Read more
Decanter’s first major natural wine tasting
What’s the biggest problem with organising a natural wine tasting? Defining the parameters ranks very high. Also, if one publicises the results with any level of exposure, being prepared to fight off the negative, trolling comments is sadly a serious undertaking.