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…
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