Part 4 of the Rhône series. My love-affair with both Muscat & Grenache.

My first flirtation with both Muscat and Grenache were both Australians. Over the years, my relationship with Grenache has been steady. I have fond memories drinking heady Grenache made from 100 year-old vines planted in the Barossa Valley. While travelling in France, I encountered both Banyuls and Rasteau. Read More >

Part 3 of the Rhône series

If there is a wine that always confuses me as a Châteaunuef-du-Pape (CDP) in a blind tasting, it would be Gigondas. The name has Latin origins and comes from the word jocunditas, meaning joy or pleasantness. Read More >

Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir Prima Donna 2009 – Waipara Valley, South Island, New Zealand

Also notes from a vertical tasting

Having already announced Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Pinot Noir 2009 as the “Most Auspicious Wine for Chinese New Year 2012 Year of the Black Water Dragon year”, I had in fact already singled it out as my “Red Wine of the Year”, so impressed by its sheer profoundness and energy, yet harmonious elegance. Read More >

Part 2 of the Rhône Series. 12,000 years ago, glaciers melted; ice and water were pushed down south; river rocks were deposited 20 km wide, and Châteaunuef-du-Pape was born. Read More >

An introduction. Part 1 of the series.

The Rhône has always been a subject of great fascination for me because of my love for Syrah and Grenache as grape varietals and also that the wines of the South has had a long history with ancient grape varieties that originated from the Middle-east. I can think of no other region in France that has such diversity in grape varieties and except maybe in Languedoc-Roussillon. Bordeaux may be well-known for its wines but the roots of winemaking originate from the Mediterranean. During the 18^th and 19^th century, Bordeaux used to blend wines from Hermitage with those in Bordeaux to give the wines more structure and riper aromas. Read More >

Final Part of the Provence wine series. Many wines tasted with personal opinions.

I believe that to end the Provence series, it is worth mentioning about the Fréjus Appellation, which is another sub-appellation of the Côtes de Provence and an AOC 80km from Nice, a city that used to be under the Regent of Italy along with Savoie. I was told that Nice itself was founded by the Greeks who brought olive, figs and winemaking from Greece 2600 years ago. It is said that the first wines made were likely rosé as the wines are pressed straight away after picking. Read More >

Sainte-Victoire – a Gem of the Côte de Provence

Part 4 of the Provence wine series

There is no doubt in my mind that the Côte de Provence produces some of the best Rosés in the world especially this sub-appellation of Sainte-Victoire where the Mountain of Sainte-Victoire (over 1000m in height) provides a sort of rain shelter for the vines. Read More >

Part 3 of the Provence wine series

The history of Cassis goes back to 2600 years when the first vines were being planted by the Romans. Cassis is one of those AOCs in France that needs more promotion overseas from wine lovers. Read More >

Part 2 of the Provence wine series

Provence is a land with 300 days of sun, little rain, low humidity and a low Mediterranean climate with ocean influence.

Read More >

Thoughts about Rosé. An introduction to Provence. Part 1 of the series.

The south of France holds many surprises. Firstly, I must confess that I was a rosé skeptic. Throughout my nine years of wine tasting, I admit that I never considered rosé to be a wine style that should be taken seriously.

Read More >