Is food and wine pairing irrelevant?
Simon gets grumpy about the state of food and wine pairing in restaurants, outlines some of the most deadly sins and ponders if this fussed over topic is even still relevant.
The new Lisboa: Chinado
Simon visits João Tereso, a sound engineer turned winemaker with a penchant for breathing new life into old vineyards, and for crafting delicious natural wines in the Lisboa region.
Auf Wiedersehen Pét
Simon gets ranty about pét nat, natural wine’s ubiquitous fizz. This article was originally published in Noble Rot Magazine, issue 27.
The new Lisboa: Rodrigo Martins and Espera
Simon visits consultant and natural winemaker Rodrigo Martins, to learn about his change to working exclusively with organic viticulture and his personal Espera project. We also talk about his frustration with the DOC classification process in Lisboa.
An Artist’s Legacy: Marta Soares and Casal Figueira
There’s a dramatic backstory to Marta Soares’ life, but this artist and winemaker wants people to focus on her present and her future, not her past. We visit amazing old vineyards on the slopes of Montejunto in Northern Lisboa, and get to grips with Marta’s take on wine, local culture and art.
Gérard Bertrand releases Villa Soleilla orange wine with 149 Euro price-tag
One of the Languedoc’s major winery groups has just released two orange wines, one with a price of €149 per bottle. Simon tastes the wines and asks Gérard Betrand about the inspiration behind Villa Soleilla and Orange Gold.
Glass Half Empty
Simon hates bad glassware, and does not understand why it’s so prevalent at natural wine venues.
Was there Georgian wine at Raw Berlin 2021?
A brief report on RAW Fair Berlin 2021, which went ahead despite the odds stacked against it. A small crisis with a missing shipment of Georgian wine was also resolved swiftly on the day.
Grafenegg single vineyard summit 2021 – Part 1: Lower Austria
Simon reports back from this year’s Austrian single vineyard summit – a massive tasting at Grafenegg castle which provides a unique opportunity to survey the current vintage and many of the region’s top wineries.
Gross – Ried Nussberg “Pretschnigg” Morillon 2015
Although still a bit marked by new oak on the nose, this 6 year old Morillon is a delight on the palate, with tangy citrus notes and a subtle spicy lift. It’s filled with lemon and grapefruit zest, and then Read more