Capon – The Prince of Fowl
11 January, 2022
I first cooked this neutered rooster – who grows plump and tasty thanks to the absence of male hormones – in Burgundy for Christmas 2013 and had to wait until New Year’s Day this year to repeat the operation.
A Champagne Christmas in Vertus
17 December, 2021
There is something about sipping really good champagne at Christmas. You can open the bottle with a bang and even let the cork carom off the ceiling, but once your fluted glass is full, make sure you take a good …
Christmas Drinks Recommendations by Sam Caporn MW
17 December, 2021
The festive season provides a perfect excuse to push the boat out a bit and treat treasured friends and family to some lovely bottles of wine! When it comes to bubbles I personally love those made in the traditional method …
Wine Touring in England
29 November, 2021
The pandemic was devasting for a number of reasons. As a seasoned and passionate explorer, being confined to the UK, to England, to London, and for some of the time to a limited radius of my home, was a challenge. …
Newcomers in Carema
29 November, 2021
If I were to paraphrase the famous David Bowie song ‘Life on Mars’ by asking ‘Is there life on Canavese?, I could now answer the question this way: ‘Of course there is! Definitely yes! There is plenty of new wine …
Whatever Happened to Gewurztraminer?
26 November, 2021
Ah, the complexities of Gewurztraminer! With the rise in popularity of light, dry, food-friendly wines, not many people seem to drink it these days. To find out more about this iconic grape and what we’ve all been missing out on, …
International Sherry Week 2021
10 November, 2021
Whoever would have thought that sherry’s change in fortune would come about due to the onset of a global pandemic? True, the lure of Andalucía has always been strong. True, the quality of sherry – especially the dry sherries – …
Somms on California: Winning over the Sceptics
19 October, 2021
Forty-five years after that legendary ‘Judgement of Paris’, Californian wine is firmly established amongst the globe’s greatest, yet scepticism is by no means uncommon among wine enthusiasts. Committed to championing the likes of Napa and Sonoma, a trio of California-loving …
How the California Wine Industry is Proactively Responding to Climate Change
19 October, 2021
‘For anyone who is doubtful about climate change, just spend some time in a wine grape vineyard,’ states a winemaker in Mendocino County, California. ‘Because of the increasing temperatures, the grapes are ripening two to three weeks earlier than they …
The Winners of the Golden Vines Awards
12 October, 2021
I attended the press event for the Golden Vines Awards on 7th October 2021, which included the inaugural Diversity Scholarships, supported by the Gerard Basset Foundation. These are awards of £55,000 to two BAME/BIPOC students who are studying for the …
Wine Webinar Series: Sherry – the finest wine
30 September, 2021
Discover the secrets of one of the most under-appreciated yet finest wines in the world with Ben Howkins Join us for a series of wine lectures curated by Académie du Vin Library, looking at key regions, wines and winemaking practices, …
Wine Webinar Series: Road Trip – On the California Wine Road with Clare Tooley
28 September, 2021
Join us for the first in a series of wine lectures. California is one of the world’s most interesting and prestigious wine regions. Clare Tooley MW will guide you around the state from south to north, discussing the wines and …