During my weekly shop in the local Sainsbury’s supermarket, I noticed that their Taste the Difference steak pie claimed to be fortified with Beaujolais. A detailed study of the contents revealed that the fortification was not excessive – there were approximately 15mls. of wine in each pie.  personally, I would have thought that a fuller-bodied …

Beaujolais Nouveau Read More »

The Taillet family have owned vineyards in the village of Merfy on the Coteau de Saint-Thierry, north-west of Reims since the 17th century, whilst the Chartognes were comparative newcomers in 1870… In 1920 Etienne Taillet married Marie Chartogne and so the company was formed. It is now run by Alexandre Chartogne, who is a great …

Chartogne-Taillet Read More »

“After a number of years absence from the British market, Argentina’s Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon is very pleased to announce that it has appointed a new importer for the UK. Brand Ambassador Richard James has confirmed that FINE WINES DIRECT UK now has exclusive import rights for the complete Escorihuela range and that a new shipment …

Press Release: Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Read More »

Ever since Pinotage first came into being in 1925, the indigenous variety has had a compelling and colourful story to tell. With Pinotage Day coming up on the 10th October, Pinotage devotees around the world are preparing to proudly celebrate 95 exciting years of savouring South Africa’s signature grape.   For those new to this …

The Journey of Pinotage Read More »

What is it about us and Rioja? When did we fall in love with this Spanish wine and why? I can only surmise that back in the 1970’s when we, as a nation, embarked on the baby steps of foreign travel and Spain was the obvious target – lots of sand, sea, sun and that …

What is it about us and Rioja? Read More »

We just blinked, and somehow, we’re half-way through Organic September already – the Soil Association’s month-long campaign to raise awareness of the many benefits of organic food and farming. To celebrate, we asked local sustainable food blogger HungryCityHippy to share her thoughts on organic food (and wine) with us – it might inspire you to …

Organic September Read More »

The Mazilly family have been  vineyard owners for generations, but it is only in the past fifty years or so that they have bottled and sold their wines under their own label. Based in Meloisey, a village in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, they also now have cellars in the village of Meursault.. They now own …

Domaine Mazilly Père et Fils. Read More »

At the end of the nineteen sixties, the Spanish wine with the highest reputation was Vega Sicilia, from a village on the southern bank on the River Duero or Douro. This wine was made from a blend of Bordeaux grape varieties and the local Tinto del País, a clone of the Tempranillo. In the village …

Pesquera Read More »

Château du Seuil lies at the extreme south-east of the Graves appellation, overlooking the river Garonne and bordering the sweet wine appellation of Barsac. This gives it the opportunity of  producing a range of wines in a variety of styles. Whilst the château itself dates back only to the nineteenth century, there have been vines …

Château du Seuil Read More »

At the time of the Spanish Civil War the Forner family left their home country and went to settle across the border in France. In due course they came to own Château Camensac, a 5ième cru classé in the Mèdoc and Château Larose-Trintaudon, the largest vineyard in the Haut-Médoc. With the death of Franco and …

Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres Read More »