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My “Asta del Barolo” article published by Langton’s
It rained heavily in Barolo on 13 March but over 200 guests braved the weather to attend the “XII Edizione” of the “Asta del Barolo” (“Barolo auction”), held in the WineMuseum Castello di Barolo and simulcast to H One Restaurant in Hong Kong and Ristorante Garibaldi in Singapore. The full article can be seen on Langton’s […]
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Ice land
As usual, I retreated to my parents’ place in Worcestershire for Christmas. When I left London last Thursday, it was bone dry. But look at what greeted me upon arrival in the West Midlands. I had to drag a 20kg suitcase through six inches of snow. There had been no gritting at all in this […]
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Chile con carne
Today (2 November) I arrived in Chile, my second visit to this marvellous country. Despite overindulgence in the nightclubs of Valparaiso last year, my friend Sylvia Cava invited me to taste again at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Chile, two days of tasting and awarding Chilean wines. There are no direct flights from London to […]
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The Third Man: AWC Vienna 2010
In late August I spent a few days in Vienna tasting for the AWC (Austrian Wine Challenge) 2010, my second year as its sole UK representative. As always, Michael Edlmoser and Andreas Peschta were charming and amusing hosts. Among my fellow tasters there was the usual motley crew of beer bellies, socks ‘n’ sandals and […]
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Open up that Golden Gate: Travels in California
“Joni Mitchell’s voice and guitar wafted through the speakers as the plane landed in San Francisco…” How’s that for the opening sentence to a pulp thriller? At any rate, it was a nice way to arrive in California. The mood turned Hitchcockian when I was unable to find the driver who had been sent to collect […]
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No sleep till Brooklyn: Travels in New York
This was my first visit to the USA. Ashes series meant that I always went east out of Heathrow. But an increasing number of friends Stateside made it more attractive to visit than ever. Accommodation and guided tours would be free. All I had to do was turn up. The flight was entertaining. Departure was […]
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Cruise Bourgeois: Travels in Bordeaux and Montpellier
I spent most of last week in France, two nights at Château Giscours in Margaux and then two nights in Junas, near Montpellier. I arrived at Giscours, saw the imposing château and assumed that I would be staying there. But the château is mothballed and guests stay in comfortable (albeit quite rustic) accommodation in an […]