No starch in my boxers thanks

One of the numerous upsides of working in this great industry is that every now and again you get invited to places that are impossible to get into. A case in point was a few weeks ago being asked to the fabled French Laundry in Napa, California. Always in the top three restaurants of the […]

Cos it’s a Monday!

Monday 16th June – We had what can only be described as wine ‘enlightenment’ this week – truly one of the greatest evenings of my twenty years in the wine trade. I used the excuse of having the always insightful and enigmatic Jean-Guillaume Prats, Managing Director of Château Cos d’Estournel dropping by, to raid the […]

En Primeur season is almost open…and we’re off this weekend to bag us a few beauties!

It’s going to be a tricky one to be honest. If Oliver (our Fine Wine Purchasing Manager) and I hadn’t just tried a handful of 2007s in February (watch out for a spellbinding 2007 Ch. Giscours this year…as long as the price is correct it’s a cellar must-have) I would be packing my well used tasting […]

News from Bordeaux

Alun Griffiths MW (Wine Director) and I have just spent a fascinating week in the vineyards of Bordeaux. We were there mainly to re-taste the 2006s and the now bottled 2005s. The former have added a little weight now and are definitely softer than when we tasted them in April; with a few magnificent new […]