This blog began as a record of taking the WSET Diploma, during which I studied and explored wines and spirits made all around the world. Having passed the Diploma and become a WSET Certified Educator, the blog has become much more: a continual outlet for my passion for the culture of wine, spirits, and beer.
I aim to educate in an informal, enlightening, and engaging manner. As well as maintaining this blog to track my latest enthusiasms, I provide educational tastings for restaurants and for private groups. Details can be found on the website, and collaborations are welcome.
Wine is my primary interest and area of expertise and this blog aims to immerse the reader in the history of wine, to understand why wine tastes like it does, and to explore all the latest news. At the same time, beer and spirits will never be ignored.
For the drinker, whether casual or professional, today is a good time to be alive.
All in Favourite Producers
This episode focuses on a lesser-known producer and region: Alto de la Ballena from Maldonado in Uruguay. Although small, Alto de la Ballena are a fantastic example of the quality of wine being made in Uruguay and the direction the country's wines is going in. Perhaps best known for the unusual, distinctive Tannat-Viognier blend, they also make superb Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and magnificent Merlot. Wines to check out if you can find them.
My latest favourite producer is an obvious choice for a wine geek like me: Rioja's López de Heredia, an historic, traditional producer whose winery and style of wine are like going back to the nineteenth century. They produce some of the most extraordinary reds, whites, and rosés in the world - once tried, never forgotten.
The second episode of my series on favourite producers features Montsecano, a producer of Pinot Noir in Chile's coastal Casablanca region who make wine quite like no other in the country. It's a joint project between former photographer Julio Donoso and Alsace producer André Ostertag; between them they make the best Pinot in Chile. Listen to find out why!
