Essays

A call to expel the Russian Sommelier Association from the ASI

by  |  13-09-2023

Eight Ukrainian champions petitioned The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale to expel the Russian Association for supporting the war. The transparency and anti-corruption issues they raise make their appeal important for the entire wine world.... more »

About that cork taint

by  |  14-08-2023 ~ 6 Comments

In a recent article by Sean P. Sullivan he made mention that the unfortunate chemical compound, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (AKA TCA or colloquially, 'cork taint') is in theory, on the outs. Sullivan stated that in his experience... more »

“British Sparkling Wine”, a name for all, a name for none?

by  |  10-05-2023

Given the recent Coronation, it only seemed fitting to take a look at one of the long-unresolved issues for the wines of Great Britain… In the last twenty years, British sparkling wine (or its longer,... more »

Moving on… from the Twitter

by  |  12-04-2023

“We’re a generation of wine people raised by Twitter. I’m wondering if another Twitter is really the answer we need.” –(Not) Fight Club As I’ve recounted but a few short weeks back, the social media... more »

Out in the weeds, back in the wine

by  |  22-03-2023 ~ 6 Comments

A few months ago, I received an email from a Canadian wine writer I'll call, N. "Mack" who was asking me to review her new memoir. I turned down the offer as it seemed her... more »

Why no fame for the wines of Spain?

by  |  18-01-2023

A few months ago, a wine educator in Texas wrote to me asking who is “influential” in Spanish wine along the lines of writers and educators. Liking a challenge, I started to write up a... more »

Wine Twitter is dead, long live Wine Twitter?

by  |  09-01-2023

The social media party train that left the station in 2006 has gone off the rails since Elon Musk bought it for $44 billion in November, 2022. As if 75% of the staff being laid... more »

Expanding beyond wine’s harvest horizons

by  |  09-12-2022

Despite the claim that people want “unique experiences” these days, when visiting wine regions, they tend to do it in more or less the same time frame. For the Northern Hemisphere that means, May with... more »

Choice, the problem is choice.

by  |  02-09-2022

If we live in any age at the moment, it’s the Age of Solutionism. There seems to be a never-ending supply of guys (always guys) who believe that for anything in existence, surely a technological... more »

The hidden truth of alternative wine bottle formats

by  |  28-07-2022

A few weeks previous on Twitter, someone in the wine trade was extolling the virtues of a new, non-glass wine bottle format that uses a plastic liner for the wine. There are many of these... more »