What do Port, Moscato d’Asti, Sauternes, Alsace’s Vendange Tardive, Passito and Icewine have in common? They are all sweet wines – although vinified in different ways. In this article, I explore the various styles of sweet wine, their production and taste profiles If you, like me, have a sweet tooth, I bet you love sweet wines. Inexplicably, some connoisseurs look down on people that openly profess their love affair with sweet nectars. I don’t know where this tendency comes from. Of course, I don’t share such prejudice. Sweet wines can be gorgeous, complex and mesmerising as any other style. I ..read more

A red blend from Rapsani (Thessaly, Greece) was my favourite in a recent wine tasting in London. Terra Petra by Thymiopoulos Vineyards has Burgundian quality and an outstanding value-for-money ratio. Great Greek wines have never been so alluring At the end of February 2023, I attended the ‘Catch a Rising Star’ wine tasting hosted by The Wine Society. The walkaround event was held at the grand Chelsea Old Town Hall, located in the affluent area of South Kensington in London.  When I sipped Rapsani Terra Petra by Thymiopoulos Vineyards, I immediately realised I had indeed caught a star. Thi ..read more

Intrepid winemakers are the real protagonists of the Etna wine scene. In the second part of my Etna series, I picked four vintners whom I know and value: Benanti, I Vigneri, Frank Cornelissen and Tenuta di Fessina. Four pioneers of a land full of wonders. Here are their philosophies and marvellous wines Welcome to the second and concluding part of my series dedicated to the Etna wine region. In the first article, I focused on Etna’s legends, history, grape varieties, DOC appellations and terroir. Now it’s time to delve into some of the most interesting winemakers based around the Etna Mountain ..read more

One of the world’s most active volcanoes is also a fascinating wine region. Etna wines are among the finest in Italy. Long history, unique terroir and resourceful winemakers are the ingredients of Etna’s success. Do you want to know more? I explore the vinous wonders of Mount Etna in a two-part series In this article, I focus on Etna’s history, grape varieties, appellations and terroir. For the second part of this series, I will share details of the wonderful Etna wines I have enjoyed over the years. My tasting notes will give you a glimpse of what this extraordinary wine region has to offer ..read more

Following the #TryJanuary tradition, this year my pick is a wonderful ‘Poggio Pini’ Rossese di Dolceacqua Superiore by Tenuta Anfosso. This elegant red wine comes from Liguria, in north west Italy. A must-visit region for every Italian winelover After a boisterous Christmas break, some people turn to a popular self-inflicted initiative called #DryJanuary. This masochist proposition dictates an entire month of alcohol abstinence. While I appreciate it may work for some, I personally would advise moderation across all the twelve months of the year, or rather a “drink less but drink better” appro ..read more

I found myself drinking more Italian wine during the last Christmas break. Here are the four most interesting wines I drank: a Riesling from Oltrepò Pavese, a Piedirosso from Campania, a Nero di Troia from Puglia and a sweet Bianco di Greco from Calabria. My New Year’s gift to my readers dotted with juicy tasting notes! As an Italian wine lover living in the UK, I often take advantage of my extended Christmas holiday in Italy to buy local Italian bottles that I struggle to find in England. I uncork some of those beauties during the festive meals I have with my family. The other bottles I caref ..read more

Rosé are just as diverse as red or white wines. In this article, I discuss two great rosé: Contino Rioja Rosado by CVNE and “Il Mio” Malvasia Rosa by Camillo Donati Exactly a year ago, I published “Five rosé from Puglia that you should try”. I wanted to spread the news of some excellent rosati wines that originate from my homeland. Today, I stay true to the summery pink beverage (an appreciation that really deserves to go beyond the warmest months of the year) by writing about two more great rosé in my Drinking under lockdown series. In the Summer of 2019, the world was in a very different pla ..read more

In the third part of my ‘drinking under lockdown’ series I present two tasty wines from Maule Valley (Chile): a blend by Undurraga ‘Terroir Hunter’ and a chilean malbec by Altamana! Although we remain in a world-wide pandemic, we have started to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, crowded tastings and wine trips are still not possible. However, in some places, tasting rooms are quietly reopening and a number of countries are relaxing their lockdown measures. While I hope my cautious optimism is not misplaced, I have been enjoying some wonderful wines at home. As I wrote prev ..read more

Pairing by analogy, contraposition, by season or cultural factors. These are some of the most common food and wine pairing philosophies. Find out what they are and pick the best parts that suit you Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners Andre Simon, French gourmet and writer Welcome to the third and final part of my semi-serious guide to food and wine pairing. I wrote this series with the goal of helping you enhance the pleasure drawn from my two favourite ingredients. In case you missed my previous artic ..read more

Another set of food and wine pairing rules? No thank you! I will only offer guidelines. Intended to enhance your pleasure, they are a starting point – not the finishing line. Use these guidelines as you see fit and never be afraid to break them… Welcome to the second part of my semi-serious guide to food and wine pairing. My first article in this guide was an introduction. I highlighted the benefits that can be achieved when there is a beautiful marriage of food and wine. I also outlined some general principles to bear in mind when making such pairings. In this part, I will delve into the deta ..read more