There is something beguiling about Spain, about the way in which this oldest of cultures is able to embrace the new and give it a pleasing twist of tradition. The beauty in that most modern of constructions, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, resides in its affinity to its surroundings; the way in which the shapes and […]

The word ‘tonto’ in Spanish refers to someone who is stupid or foolish, and unfortunately in one’s adventures through wine it is inevitable that such ‘tonto’ wine producers will make appearances: winemakers who are more interested in selling wines in bulk as early as possible, sometimes even stopping or quickening the fermentation process in order […]

I had the great pleasure of accepting an invitation to one of my favourite producers in Rioja, Artadi. A whistle stop tour that would give a huge insight into the extremely passionate and informative world of Juan Carlos Lopez, the proprietor of Artadi. I have been fortunate enough to have met many producers in my […]

Last week saw a winemaking legend visit our Basingstoke HQ. Alvaró Palacios came to show us a fantastic selection of his (quite frankly astounding) wines and talk to us (all too briefly in the hour time-slot) about his wine making history. Starting at his family’s vineyard, Bodega Palacios Remondo (in Rioja), Alvaro trained for a […]