The flavor of vegetal in wine of Catalogne

Last year, there was much mirth on wine Twitter about a particularly excruciating tasting note. You’re right. The wine trade needs to get out more. But still… this one was a beauty. It began well enough – really quite beautiful, in fact. But before long the imaginative descriptions were getting more ornate and strained. It moved from poetic to meaningless before finishing with a reference to Burnt Norton – the first of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets – that put it firmly in Private Eye magazine’s ...

Six spirits trends to watch in 2022 Agave spirits Looking to premiumise your collection? Tequila has plenty of high-end brands to choose from: perfect for enthusiasts to explore. Gone are the days when tequila was seen as a shot drink or only used in Margaritas. Now, drinks makers are showing just how versatile agave spirits can be in a range of cocktails. Agave expert Deano Moncrieffe of Hacha bar in east London has just opened a new specialist bar in south London, bringing tequila to the masse ...

The dark days began when I learned from a visiting Canadian friend about the death of one of the kindest, most gentle and most skilful Pinot winemakers I’ve known, Paul Pender of Tawse Winery. He died in a senseless and tragic act of violence on the evening of 3 February, outside his Lake Erie cottage. A stranger, subsequently charged with his murder, had (it seems) knocked on his door, asking for help. Paul’s sudden, untimely loss has left his family, and the broader Canadian wine community, di ...