New Alsace: Introducing La Cave du Vieil Armand
La Cave du Vieil Armand is one of the smallest cooperative cellars in Alsace, pulling together the vineyards and generational expertise of 80 wine growing families across 10 municipalities.
Winemakers & Wineries
Pigs, Vermentino and Baby Super Tuscans: The Il Muro Family Farm, Tuscany
Il Muro estate has been owned by the Pancaro family for more than two centuries.
New Super Tuscans: Meet “the Guv’nor”
Something completely new here, folks. 'Governo' is a winemaking technique going back to 14th century Tuscany whereby a proportion of the harvest is held back, partially dried and then added to the already fermenting first portion of the harvest.
Finding the Grail: the vineyards of Nardò and the divine wines of Schola Sarmenti
I've mentioned before my stock reply to the oft-asked question I get in the shop, "what's your favourite wine out of all of them?". It's like asking me which of my kids is my favourite — it depends on the day. Schola Sarmenti is unapologetically my favourite child right now.
Parental Advisory: Sam Brannigan & Nelson’s Kahurangi Estate
About a million years ago, when my now early teens were in nappies and we were just getting Curious Wines off the ground, I met Sam Brannigan at a wine tasting in Enniskillen.
On the detective trail to Bergerac
So I have to confess, up until very recently whenever someone mentioned "Bergerac" my immediate thoughts would go to John Nettles driving around Jersey in a Triumph roadster*.
Elysian Springs: Wine and Local Produce, a Culinary Kinship
Premium Adelaide estate Elysian Springs began as part of a grant of farmland given to pioneer Robert Marley for the production of grain, sheep and cattle.
Tom Puyaubert’s Wine Horizons
From the Latin exopto, are, avi, atum. To desire eagerly, or long for.
You’ll Never Walk Alone — Claymore Wines Part II
A couple of weeks ago we introduced the eye-catching (and utterly gorgeous) Claymore Wines, a new range of music-inspired labels from Australia's Clare Valley including the Joshua Tree Riesling, Bittersweet Symphony Cabernet and Dark Side of the Moon Shiraz.
You had me at “chocolate”… Introducing Zonte’s Footstep
Chocolate Factory | Shiraz | McLaren Vale from Zonte's Footstep on Vimeo. Many of you will be familiar with our stand-out wine of last year, newcomer Elysian Springs' Spring Lamb Syrah, from Australia's Adelaide Hills.
Kangaroo Where? Introducing The Islander Estate Vineyards
Six months previously we'd never even heard of Kangaroo Island but in planning our trip to Australia I went straight to looking for wineries on the hunch that just off the south Australian mainland someone would have planted vines there.
Rocking Clare Valley: Claymore Wines Part I
Claymore Wines founder and owner, Anura Nitchingham, has three great loves in his life – wine, music and football – and he celebrates all of them through the winery he began in the 1990s, having arrived there with his family after a successful medical career in the UK.
Australia’s Winemaker of the Year 2018: Paul Hotker, Bleasdale
The first bottles of Bleasdale Wines in Ireland landed into our small (and constantly freezing cold!) warehouse in Bandon in late 2009. We were just over a year old and planning our first direct shipments from Australia the following Spring.
Douro’s Quinta do Judeu: The Wise and Ancient Valley
Douro’s Quinta do Judeu: The Wise and Ancient ValleyThere is a story which has weaved its way, like old gnarled vine itself, into the history of the Alves de Carvalho family’s spectacular Douro valley winery, Quinta Do Judeu.
Finding the Holy Grail
WE OFTEN TALK IN CURIOUS about finding the grail in wine terms - those wines that look great, massively over-deliver for their price point, and give us something resembling a religious experience on drinking. We didn't actually expect one of them to feature the grail on the label but here you go.
INTERVIEW: Samuel Guibert (Mas de Daumas Gassac)
SAMUEL GUIBERT, owner, winemaker and international marketer at Languedoc 'Grand Cru' Mas de Daumas Gassac, on making unconventional wines, his family's getaway pad in west Cork and why organic certification isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Visit to Château Bauduc, Bordeaux (Part I)
In May of this year I finally got myself over to Bordeaux to visit Gavin and Angela Quinney at Château Bauduc.