Snobbery and wine go together like love and marriage. I remember visiting the States a few years ago and getting very snooty about people putting ice cubes in their wine… even red wine! But let’s stop and think a minute. Sometimes, when the weather is pushing up the mercury, it is advisable to add a…
by Nick Adams, MW Easter is nearly here, and we return to the regular review and recommendations of what should we be drinking with Easter fare and getting together? The Easter date varies as it falls each year on the Sunday following the paschal full moon after the Spring equinox. In practice, that means that…
By Nick Adams As part of the series of looking at the people behind the wines I come to an example which could be argued to be the one of the most enduring and profound of all – Henschke, based in the Barossa South Australia. I also had the privilege to work with Henschke for…
PLUS, THE NEW WINE TRUST 6 & 12 SEALED CASE LISTINGS & OFFERS by Nick Adams “Quality is not an act. It is a habit” – Aristotle I do hope you all were fit and well and were able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations – and indulge in some good wine. I…
Fish is at it’s very best in the winter It’s easy to forget that in the winter, many fish and shellfish are in plentiful supply (and at their best) with the following particularly good and sustainable examples: Sea Bass Farmed Sea Trout Brill Turbot Lemon Sole Plaice Gilt Head Bream Hake Monkfish Mackerel Mussels Oysters…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine At some point many wine drinkers will think about and consider investing in “finer wine” – maybe because they have fallen in love with a certain grape and/or region. This may also be because they have a special event or anniversary in mind, or simply “for the hell of…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine What are International Varietals? It is estimated that there are potentially up to 10,000 different grape varieties in the world which technically can make wine. Of these the Grape & Wine Research Development Corporation records a database of 1,271 being actively used in creating and blending different styles of…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine. As part of the occasional series of Blogs under the banner “Off The Beaten Track” I come to one which might just be about in the deepest elephant grass for many wine drinkers – Madeira. And what makes this such a paradox is that – pre Covid – nearly 500,000…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s new report (summary) has sent reverberations around the world and set politicians and scientists into an understandable frenzy. For weeks now details have been well publicised of the excessive and unprecedented temperatures in both the Western USA and Canada. And just recently Italy (Sicily) recorded…
by Master of Wine, Nick Adams. This blog has nothing to do with the physical construction of the said item, but how anyone can put together a collection of wine and enjoy the benefits from this exercise. And it gives me the chance to outline a new development with WineTrust and the web site offering…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine So often the dancing partner with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot produces an array of wine styles at all prices. And to put this into context, paradoxically, it is the main grape behind the most expensive Bordeaux wines of the whole region. A grower’s favourite, but it has not always commanded…
By Nick Adams, Master of Wine. It is estimated that 90% of all wines produced are made, bottled, and consumed within 2 years. Here the value of the wines’ styles is all about freshness and fruit and immediate (primary) flavours and pleasure. For a relative handful of wines, the opposite is true – these examples…
