The Winery Abel Porte of Côte de Beaune of Burgundy

A trade deal signed by the UK and New Zealand this week promises benefits for winemakers, merchants and drinkers, according to industry bodies. Miles Beale, CEO of the UK Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), said the deal means the country’s wine lovers ‘will have greater choice’. He said it was also ‘a very good deal for the wine and spirit industry’. New Zealand Winegrowers, representing the country’s wine sector, also welcomed the free trade deal, which was signed in London yesterday ( ...

There’s a reason why heavily-applied perfume ranks highly on most wine lovers’ list of pet peeves. It overpowers your senses, conceals aromas and distorts your perception of a wine. In professional tastings and wine exams the wearing of perfume is banned, if not thoroughly frowned upon. You just don’t do it. What then, if we applied the same logic to music, controlling the sounds we hear, or don’t hear, while tasting wine? There’s no doubt that a chaotic environment can clog your synapses, makin ...

Tongue firmly in cheek, I sometimes define ‘wine consultant’ as ‘someone lacking employment who will work for whoever pays them’. Although meant in jest, the implied question is valid: just what does a wine consultant do? More importantly, in this age, when every assistant in a retail shop styles him- or herself a sales consultant, who would hire one? The short answer is this: a wine consultant is someone who advises wine lovers about their passion. He or she advises buyers on what to buy (and a ...