2012 Harvest at Schubert Winery, Martinborough, Wairarapa Valley

Continuing our sneak previews of the 2012 New Zealand grape harvest, I asked Kai Schubert at Schubert Winery in Martinborough how the vintage looks, to which he replied, “We are still picking!” Read More >

2012 Felton Road end of harvest party and end of winemaking dinner

With the southernmost wine regions in the world, the New Zealand grape harvest is in full swing with some vineyards almost completely through vintage (late ripening varieties like riesling will be picked throughout May) and many vignerons are breathing a sigh of relief, with ferments finished and the anxiety levels subsiding. Read More >

Shalom Chin Rhone Valley Blog – Part 6 – The Tales of Two Terriors – Tavel & Lirac

Final part of the Rhône series

My journey in the Southern Rhône comes to an end at Tavel and Lirac – two towns which are a mere six minutes from each other. There is always more to expound about the riches of the Rhône, such as the areas of Luberon, the Ventoux and the Vaucluse. Domaine Faverot, Domaine de la Citadelle and Domaine de Tara are producers I would recommend for those who are interested in getting a taste of the diversity of the South of South. The flavour profiles there remind me of the punchiness of South Australian wines. However, those finer details would be better-suited for a story in the future. My focus is on Tavel and Lirac. Read More >

The Rise of the English – the New Frontier of Wines and the Wine Pantry in London

Our Wandering Sommelier, Shalom Chin, investigates the English wine following the trail from the Wine Pantry at Borough Market and out into the field in Kent and Sussex. And he’s impressed with what he sees – read on… Read More >

Shalom Chin Blog – Southern Rhone Valley – Part 5 – The Villages of Rhône

Our intrepid Singapore sommelier, Shalom Chin, has filed a heroic piece on the Southern Rhone Valley and the much-underrated Cotes du Rhone Villages wines. Sommeliers take note; this is the level of writing skills and opinion you should be attaining. Wine enthusiasts take note; it’s time to be listening to and reading what sommeliers have to say, they are at the coalface and the new gatekeepers to wine discovery. Read More >

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President Barack Obama in Synchronicity with The Wandering Palate

Someone in the White House clearly has good taste or has been reading the Wandering Palate, having served at the Obama-Cameron state banquet, the Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille 2009 with the first course of crisped halibut with potato crust served on a bed of braised baby kale (fresh from the White House garden) with shaved Brussels sprouts and micro-cabbage sprouts and Applewood smoked bacon. Read More >

Sommelier Shalom Chin – Rhone Valley Part 4 – Rasteau & Beaumes-de-Venise – King and Queen of Rhône’s Vin Doux Naturels

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 >

Shalom Chin Rhone Valley Part 3 – Gigondas – Joy of the Land

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 >

Red Wine of the Lunar Year – Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir Prima Donna 2009 – Waipara Valley, South Island, New Zealand

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 >

Sommelier Shalom Chin Blog – Rhone Valley Part 2 – Châteaunuef-du-Pape – The Pope’s New Castle

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 >