Les Caves de Beer-ene
The Byrensters have had a charmless life when it comes to sourcing the suitable suds. In The History of an Unusual Wine Company in 10.5 Chapters I described our search…
Doug Decants: Glou and Superglou
Bojo Nouveau day has been and gone, trailing clouds of carbo, so we thought we would say that a glou wine (not a glühwein) is not just for a Thursday…
An Essay on Natural Wine: Part One
Attitudes to natural wine are similar to hard-wired attitudes towards Brexit. People don’t want to listen to substantive and nuanced arguments or to understand that its increasing popularity in historical…
Attack of the Killer Bots and Other Sweet Things
I rarely write about sweet wines, because, in all honesty, I rarely drink sweet wines. I find them interesting, rather than loveable, although perhaps my love of wine is the…
Doug Decants: Vale da Capucha Wines, Portugal
Pedro Marques’ Vale da Capucha wines are from organically farmed vines situated in the Lisbon region around eight km from the Atlantic Ocean on limestone soils rich with fossils. The…
A Georgian Supra in England
In our culture, we treat wine as a distinctive product, something with a labelled bottle that may engender expectations of a certain quality, something that may be pored over and…
What’s New?!
A roll call of what’s rocked in over the last few weeks. German Weiss Squad Young Martin Woerner is probably tired of people calling him young Martin Woerner. He, and…
Review of 2019: The Calm Before The Anti-Climax
Apparently, if I don’t complete this blog by some completely arbitrary date, I should find a convenient ditch and perish histrionically therein. This has been a year where we’ve always…
Doug Decants: Urogallo Wines, Northwest Spain
Life Beyond Fabada Asturiana Snappers-up of unconsidered trifles might be vaguely aware of the existence of the wines of remote Asturias in northwest Spain, where the vineyards are carved into…
What ever happened to… Wine Controversies?
Once upon a time I only had to open my mouth or take to my keyboard to ruffle feathers– I had Larry David’s effortless knack for causing offence. Asked to…
Focus On: Recaredo (Cava not Cava anymore) and Celler Credo
The other week Ton Mata was in town to show some new wines from Celler Credo and to reinforce the message that the Recaredo sparkling wines had seceded from the…
Celebrating the Autochthonous
I recently tasted a Georgian wine that had over 400 grape varieties blended into it. If ever there was a declaration of the symbolic desire to preserve a multi-faceted grape…
Doug Decants: Franz Weninger’s Furmint vom Kalk
Franz Weninger and his father switched to BD farming in 2006. They originally planted Furmint in Austria over a decade ago, but the vines were hit by frost – so…
Doug decants: Camillo Donati’s Lambrusco Frizzante
Slow food pilgrims who take their hunger, scrip and staff to Bologna and environs know that it’s possible to find interesting, well-balanced Lambrusco from artisanal producers and go-ahead co-operatives. We…
Focus on: Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo, Jerez de la Frontera
Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo was founded in the mid-nineteenth century by Emilio Hidalgo Hidalgo, so good they named him twice. The company is owned and operated by the fifth generation of…
Guest Blog: How I Caught the Natural Wine Bug – Freddie Johnson
My professional experience with wine starts unconventionally as a 19-year old cowering in the cellar of a Michelin-starred London restaurant. As I pondered just how many times a commis chef…
Indestructible Wines
We are taught to believe that wines inevitably decay from the moment the cork is pulled or the cap twisted. Oxygen is seen as the enemy here, hastening the precious…
Doug decants: Le Capitalisme Rouge est un Vin de Garage
Is this the most allusive wine label ever? I bloody hope so. But probably not. Before I explicate, a word from our sponsor, Monsieur Brendan Tracey, who has a technicolour…
Drinking Outside The Box: A review of our autumn trade tasting
We called our autumn trade tasting "Drinking Outside The Box" because we always want people to leave their preconceptions alongside their coats in the cloakroom and to approach our wines…
Focus On: Pol Opuesto Wines
The Wines of Pol Andsnes, The Uco Valley, Argentina You’re in a restaurant leafing through their bible of a wine list. You leaf in vain. There is no natural skin-contact…
Wines of the Year: Part Two
Will and Doug uncork some of their vinous highlights of 2019. (Read Part One of our Wines of the Year HERE.) Will: Although my views about best-of-year picks tend to…
Doug Decants: Cascina Iuli’s La Rina (Piedmont, Italy)
Fabrizio Iuli grew up in a restaurant family. For over 60 years, the Iuli family served award-winning Piedmontese cuisine in their guest house/hotel, but it was the local demand for…
What goes on when we taste wine?
There are moments when you drink a wine that become hand-wringing, bell-ringing events; transcendent moments that palpitate the nerve-endings and lodge in your memory cortex forever. When we post about…
Guest Post: On the Abracadabra of Bottling by Hannah Fuellenkemper
--Hannah Fuellenkemper I know that wine is about transformation, but no one warned me about the transformative power of packaging, and how in seconds it could change what had been…
Doug Decants: Recent Orange Additions: Part 1 – France
Although times they-are-a-changing and French vignerons and vigneronnes are cottoning on to making skin-contact wines, there was a time when you would have to search hard to find an amber-hued…
Wines of the Year (so far) – Part One
Doug & Elliott pore over some of their favourites... In an ongoing series, we (Les Cavistes) decant the wines that rocked our respective boats and rolled our barrels in the…
A Humble Alternative to the Top Fifty Vineyards in the World – Part Two.
Read Part One here. A recent report (voted by “experts”) listed the Top Fifty Vineyards in the World. It seemed more about companies with edifice complexes, than anything to do…
Georgian Wine Times Have Returned!
Georgian wines, that is, wines from the Republic of Georgia, have certainly been capturing the hearts and minds of the UK trade over the past few years. For seekers of…
We’ve got a not-so-little-list
As some day it may happen that a vigneron must be found, I've got a little list — I've got a little list Of Georgian growers who bury clay pots…
Latest US Arrivals
The latest batch of US wines to have hit our shores contain some real summer slurpers from Populis and Evan Lewandowski, some new wines from Kelley Fox, Minimus and Martha…
Doug Pores Over: Decanting
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go —T. S. Eliot It is scientifically proven that aeration through decanting a wine…
Doug Decants: Damejeanne from La Garagista
The project known as La Garagista Farm + Winery began in 2010. In essence, Deirdre and Caleb farm three parcels of co-planted, alpine varietals that are horticultural crosses of vinifera…
Les Caves discovers…Calabria!
Sometimes known as Italy’s toe, and divided from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina, Calabria juts out between the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian Seas. Its northern border with Basilicata,…
Book Review: Cultural Insurrection by Jonathan Nossiter
Cultural Insurrection: A Manifesto for the Arts, Agriculture and Natural Wine - Jonathan Nossiter Jonathan Nossiter grew up variously in France, England (where apparently, and unbeknownst to each other, we attended…
A Humble Alternative to the Top Fifty Vineyards in the World
A recent report (voted by “experts”) listed the Top Fifty Vineyards in the World. It seemed more about companies with edifice complexes, than anything to do vineyards, vines, terroir and…
Doug Decants: Continental Platter
Sac à Main Balinais Pinot Noir & Pot à Cab Sav Continental Platter is a partnership between Les Caves de Pyrene and our Australian distribution partners, Puncheon Bottles, born from…
About a Book
Wine is, or should be, a liberating influence. It should inspire us, make us happy, unlock our creativity and passion. Then we write a book about it. Because, as the…
Drinking Outside The Box: The Les Caves de Pyrène Autumn Trade Tasting!
The Les Caves autumn trade tasting will take place in the Hellenic Centre on Paddington Street in Marylebone on Monday 23rd September 2019. Entitled, 'Drinking Outside The Box', it will…
The Obligatory Summer Rosé Article!
Not another rosé article! No, not another rosé article – by this or any other name - to out-frivol the pink drink. Time, wethinks, to put some perspective into the…
New and Forthcoming Arrivals in July!
In the last newsletter, we highlighted some of our most recent additions and forthcoming arrivals. Now the rivers of wine are positively flowing with the Jurassic stuff; at last, we…
Doug Decants: Monte dall’Ora, Vino Nato Disobbediente
When Alessandra and Carlo Venturini first discovered Monte dall’Ora it was love at first sight. As children of farmers, they were excited and challenged by the hard work it was…
What’s the deal with vegan wines?
Vegan wines. A storm in an egg cup? Generally speaking, very few of our wines are fined with gelatine, casein, albumen or isinglass. Either they are not fined at all,…
Doug decants: The Wines of Beckham Estate
Beckham Estate, Oregon USA In 2004, Andrew, a ceramics artist and High School ceramist teacher and his wife Annedria, purchased land on the Parrett Mountain in the Chehalem Mountains AVA near…
Guest Post: Winemaking and What It Really Means
A Personal A to Z by Hannah Fuellenkemper A year ago I moved to France. I was vaguely hoping one day to make wine, when out of the blue turning-thirty got…
New Arrivals from France!
Now is the summer of our replenishment. Looking out the window at the mizzle as I write this, I think summer may be an exaggeration, but the wine coffers will…
Another Rare Unicorn: U.V.A from Panevino
Pull up an armchair and warm your interest in wine at the crackling fire of extreme passion. This is the story of Gianfranco Manca, formerly a baker, who, having taken…
Reflecting about Wine Writing
I would like to write in a way that provokes thought without provoking people, and I would like to read writers who have the passion and intellectual clarity (and curiosity)…
Doug decants: The Wines of Alexandre Bain
Biodynamic and natural wines the result of meticulous work Alexandre Bain’s passion for working the land was inspired by his grandfather who was a farmer. At 18 he decided to…
BYO Podcast full episodes from the Real Wine Fair 2019!
BYO Podcast recorded and filmed live at the Real Wine Fair this year! Watch the full line up of growers here and subscribe to the podcast! Christian Binner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETDBgpqYmtE Pierre…
Bonjour English Wine Week!
Some of the most hummingly busy stands at the 2019 Real Wine Fair were the ones hosted by English growers and winemakers. English wine, good English wine, is making waves.…
The Not-At-All-Real Real Wine Fair Awards
A visitor, panic in their eyes, exclaimed to me: “So much wine, so little time!” I felt the same. Two days were not enough. But here are my highlights with…
2019 Real Wine Fair Thoughts
I have written about every fair since The Natural Wine Fair in 2011. Sometimes, I am still alight with the afterglow that one gets when one tastes great wines, meets…
The Real Wine Fair: So Much More Than A Wine Tasting
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks Too short to be haughty, too nutty…
How To Organise A Successful Wine Fair
Have a distinctive theme. Many wine tastings are generic and feel like tasting by numbers, others have too narrow a focus. It is clear that this is an artisan fair,…
Amber Wines and ASMR
I sometimes seek a quality in wine that can only be described as tactility. It is that quality wherein the liquid touches taste-buds in such a way both physically and…
Another Fine Unicorn: Gringet “Le Feu”, Domaine Belluard – Haute-Savoie
A wine may be rare because it is made in tiny quantities. Or because it is a one-off cuvee, perhaps one necessitated by the nature of a vintage. Or an…
Portuguese Wonders at The Real Wine Fair
There are always amazing discoveries to be made at the Real Wine Fair. The 2019 Fair features some wines from Portugal that are definitely worth the detour. Herdade do Cebolal is…
Ugly Ducklings into Swans: A Real Wine Event at Solent Cellar
Every year, I am kindly invited by Heather and Simon of Solent Cellarto do a tasting masterclass at their cosy wine shop in Lymington in conjunction with Real Wine Month. This year…
Pet-ting Zoo
A Pet Nat (short for pétillant naturel) is a sparkling wine from a single vintage that undergoes a single fermentation. The wine ferments with its own yeast in tank or…
Doug Decants: The Wines of Mauricio Gonzalez Carraro
Mauricio Gonzalez Carraro is part of the Asociación de Productores de Vino Campesino de Chile, organized by natural wine advocate and sommelier Macarena Lladser. Their group of four all practise within…
The Autobiography of Les Caves de Pyrene. Chapter Six: Of the Psychology of Tasting, Wine Fairs and Feelings – Part Two
Read Chapter One Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Two Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Three Part One and Two and Three Chapter Four Part One and Two Chapter Five Part One and Two Chapter Six Part One Continued from Part One: 2011 was a watershed for natural…
Doug Decants: Three Chenins from Intellego Wines
Jurgen Gouws worked with Eben Sadie for a vintage in Spain (at Terroir Al Limit in Priorat) and also in South Africa. He did further stints in France (at Matassa…
I Won’t Call Them Unicorns but I will…Thierry Navarre’s Ribeyrenc
Another Unicorn in Our Stable Our spare Ribeyrenc Ribeyrenc, also Rybeyrenc, though grape encyclopaediae will have it under the more prosaic-sounding Aspiran), is a variety that was traditionally grown between…
I won’t call them unicorns but I will…
A new series featuring wines made in tiny quantities (free toy microscope with every bottle). These wines are strictly allocated (alas), so please enquire about availability. As rare as…wings upon…
Doug decants: Jo Landron’s Melonix & Muscadet Amphibolite
“The Melonator” Jo Landron, a graduate of the École d’Agriculture in Briacé, which counts a good number of the leading winemakers of Nantais amongst its alumni, has been ensconced at…
The Autobiography of Les Caves de Pyrene. Chapter Six: Of the Psychology of Tasting, Wine Fairs and Feelings – Part One.
Read Chapter One Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Two Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Three Part One and Two and Three Chapter Four Part One and Two Chapter Five Part One and Two Homer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just remember if your mother asks, I took you…
The Natural Wine ABCs
A is for additives such as acidification. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it and if it is broke it's the fault of the way the wine is made in…
Doug Decants: Weingut Knauss, Germany
Andi Knauss, who now is in his early thirties, started to work together with his father at their family estate in the Remstal region, east of Stuttgart, in 2004 as…
The Wild Pacific North West: US Wines Back In The Saddle
Ovum Wines: A Critique of Pure Riesling John House and Ksenija Kostic both have day jobs so they're able to take risks with Ovum Wines. For example, they focus solely on…
Doug Decants: The Wines of Valter & Klemen Mlecnik, Slovenia
The Mlecnik 9ha farm, situated in Bukovica at the western end of the Vipava valley near the Italian border, is planted to a mix of Chardonnay, Rebula, Sauvignonasse (ex-Tocai Friulano),…
What is a value for money wine?
If beauty lies in the eye of the beholder so does value for money. We are more likely to appreciate that a hand-crafted wine might represent value, if we know…
Chapter Five: Of Natural Wine Bars. Part Two
Read Chapter One Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Two Parts One, Two and Three Chapter Three Part One and Two and Three Chapter Four Part One and Two Chapter Five Part One Wine diamonds What’s that in the bottle? It looks like slivers of glass.…
Doug Decants: New Single Vineyard Frappatos from Arianna Occhipinti
Arianna Occhipinti works in the vineyards, finding an endless source of inspiration through observation. In particular, during the last few years, she has not only been focused on the splendid…
A Tribute to Gerard Basset OBE
From Gerrard's website: Gerard Basset, one of the world’s greatest wine professionals, passed away yesterday morning surrounded by his family. He had fought a brave battle against cancer of the…
Chatting with: Ben Walgate, Tillingham Wines
2018 was an incredibly busy year for Ben Walgate, winemaker and co-founder of Tillingham. They launched their first wines onto the UK market, planted 10,000 vines by hand at their farm…
Sir Wregg’s Favourite Wines from 2018
Life is too short to drink bad wine. Or mediocre wine. So, I tried not to! The following wines were my wines of the year. I became more conservative in…
Doug decants: The Wines of Michel Gahier, Arbois
For a generation Michel Gahier and his family have been quietly working with some of the region’s most sought-after terroirs. The Gahiers have lived in Montigny-les-Arsures, just outside of Arbois, since the…