Skip to content

Wine Talk

RSS
  • September 7, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Domaine Hubert Brochard – Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé

    This excellent family estate has been one of our partners for the last thirty years, in which time we have seen the development of their business and also their cellars. However, one thing has remained constant during this time; their ability to create wines that express both their origin and grape variety and which have consistently been of the utmost quality.
    Read now
  • September 3, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Pinot Grigio – Or Is It?

    Over the last decade or so, Pinot Grigio has seen a dramatic rise in popularity with the UK wine consumers, many of whom believe that it’s a grape indigenous to Italy and that little else is produced outside of the borders. How wrong they are.

    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    South Africa Visit 2015

    It has been a few years since we last visited South Africa and we were more than a little excited to see what developments had taken place and to see what the wine industry was up to over there.
    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Penedes Visit 2015

    In 2014, we had requested samples from wineries in Spain's Penedes for both Cava and still wines. The general quality was decent, but one Bodega stood head and shoulders above the others: Parés Baltà. So come early February, we packed an overnight bag and went to Spain to see just what made it so special.
    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Bouchard Finlayson Tasting

    Lia Poveda of Walker Bay's Bouchard Finlayson Estate was in Manchester to host a small tasting of their range for some of our restaurant clients.
    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    The First Harvest Reports Are Promising

    Now that much of the grape harvest is in the vats, we can get an overview of the size and quality of the vintage. First reports from France are, in general, good. Italy has been more of a mixed bag.
    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Sancerre Set For A Good Vintage

    As is usual for this time of year, we are in contact with our growers to get a feel for what's been happening in the vineyards that could affect the market over the coming weeks and months. After the devastating hail storms in Burgundy at the end of June, vineyard areas that are close took the priority for us, so we spoke with Caroline Brochard from Sancerre earlier this week put our minds at rest!
    Read now
  • August 17, 2015 Roger Barlow

    Hailstorms Batter Burgundy

    After two short vintages in the Cote’d’Or, everything looked fair for a harvest of both quality and quantity. That is until a violent hailstorm came through the southern part of the region on Saturday 28th June in the late afternoon. There were a few localised areas of the Cote de Nuits that were also subjected to the devastating weather but not nearly as much as in the southern neighbour.
    Read now