How To Train Your Dragonfruit Taster

August 6, 2021

Some thoughts on wine tasting and training Doing tastings with sommeliers and wine buyers or conducting wine training is part of the job for the common-or-garden wine merchant. You buy the wine; you get the talking instruction kit. “Thank you for purchasing your day-glo orange wine. Here is how it works…We hope you will be […]

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100 Great Natural Wines: Germany

July 28, 2021

This is a series profiling the producers on our list who make natural wines. Within this series we will be highlighting some of the extraordinary and rare bottles and vintages that have helped to shape our appreciation of natural wines over the years. Previous posts from our 100 Great Natural Wines series include Austria, Spain, and […]

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Decanting: The Wines of Bodegas Tajinaste

July 28, 2021

Named after the beautiful flower that grows in the Teide national park in Tenerife (which is also depicted on the labels), Tajinaste is run by the indefatigable Agustín García Farrais. He works alongside his parents, Cecila (“Chilla”) and Agustín Snr. The bodega in Valle de la Orotava was founded by Agustín’s grandfather. The family now […]

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A tribute to Terroirs Wine Bar, in the words of those who loved it

July 23, 2021

Wine writer Christina Pickard, who helps run Les Caves’s social media, recently wrote an article about our beloved and recently shut Terroirs Wine Bar for the publication Club Oenologique. In the process of writing, she collected numerous stories and anecdotes from some of the people most impacted by Britain’s first natural wine bar. Due to […]

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Spotlight on: Domaine du Pech

July 20, 2021

A family owned and run domaine in the heart of south west France focussing on terroir expression, biodynamic processes and crafted quality, Domaine du Pech lies in the Buzet appellation, west of Toulouse and to the east of Bordeaux. The estate was planted in 1978. Magali, daughter of the original owner Daniel Tissot, and Ludovic […]

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The Long Read: On Wine Ageing

July 14, 2021

Age shall not wither wine, except when it does… Ah yes. And, oh no. The expression “this wine will age”, was considered a badge of honour, once upon a time. It was akin to saying that it is too serious and too profound for you – poor you – to understand it in its youth. […]

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Decanting: Nikau Farm

July 14, 2021

Nikau Farm is home to Dane Johns (of Momento Mori), his wife Hannah and their young family. It is an expansive property of about 95 acres in the Baw Baw region of Gippsland, Victoria. It sits high on a group of ranges in a place known to the indigenous peoples of this country as ‘Tolone.’ […]

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Spotlight on: The Don & Kindeli Wines, New Zealand

July 8, 2021

Alex Craighead and Josefina Venturino are establishing a reputation in the natural wine world. They have settled in Upper Moutere in Nelson and make wines that are bottled under two labels; Kindeli and The Don. The latter label is, named after Josefina’s grandfather, Don Ramon, a homage to family, honesty and simplicity. Don Ramon, a […]

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The Long Read: I Taste Red

June 30, 2021

Tasting is viewed – scientifically – as the reflexive response to various stimuli. It is both a mechanistic and cognitive activity. I am primarily interested in the translation of mere stimuli into detailed images and words, and how we can develop ourselves from being passive receivers into becoming active engagers and explorers. Broadly speaking, taste […]

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Coming Soon: New Season Little Pomona

June 30, 2021

Cider and perry is seasonal, don’t you know… and we are emerging into summer. Here are a few newbies to whet your appetites and wet your whistles, some of them delightfully – and maybe even dangerously – low in alcohol. Thirsts will be crushed! Table Perry (2020) comes from Hendre Huffcap & Thorn varieties, both […]

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