A PASSION FOR WINE FROM HOW IT’S MADE TO HOW IT TASTES

Imbibe; sip; quaff; savour; consume. There are many ways to describe the act of drinking wine. But they should all mean only one thing: pure pleasure.  My approach to wine is exploring, experimenting and enjoying – from French classics to obscure Italian grapes to New World boutique wonders.

Top of money purse lying empty

Because I’m All About Value

As UK wine lovers get hammered by even more tax, it's time to look to Languedoc-Roussillon for thrills, spills and making your pennies go further.
Salmon with honey and soy at The Westbury, matched withKoshu wine

Koshu Can Match White With Lamb

You know the rule about red wine with red meat. Well, guess what? It's there to be broken. A tasting of Japanese Koshu wines with food reveals some surprises.
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Relight My Sauvignon Fire

Overproduced, over flavoured and over here. That used to be my view of most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. But it seems one size no longer fits all.
Bottle of Fonseca 1963 Vintage Port

It Was A Very Good Year

At a tutored tasting of Fonseca Ports, I got the chance to taste a vintage as old as me. A thrill. But it was the Aged Tawnies that left the lasting impression.
Aerial view of some Madeira in a glass

Not Just For The Dowager Duchess

Sherry revolution? Pah! If you want to be really bleeding edge, start drinking Madeira. It's been called "crazy and monstrous" you know (and it will never go off).
Prosecco

Anything But Champagne

No. I haven't taken leave of my senses. But, just as there are alternatives to turkey, it is possible to enjoy a deliciously different sparkling wine at Christmas.
Crystal diamond-shaped Champagne flute from Zalto

All I Want For Christmas…

... is a trip to the Douro, Zalto Champagne glasses, private chefs to cook the big dinner and something REALLY special to drink. Hey Santa! Are you listening?
wine glasses with logo of Boxwood Winery, VA

Don’t Be Afraid Of Virginia Wine

Especially if it comes from Boxwood, a winery that is pushing for greater recognition for the state's wines, both at home and abroad.
The Derelict Vineyard Grenache wine from D'arenberg

Partridge In A “Dare Me”

A plucky tale about game, guts and Grenache. Or how I took the plunge and dressed my first partridges. And then opened a bottle of wine that made them sing.
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Wines For Bourgeois Tastes

Below the highly-prized and highly-priced Bordeaux top growths, there is a plethora of producers with equally pretty châteaux. But what about the quality of their wines?
Villa Maria winery founder Sir George Fistonich

50 Years of Villa Maria

Sir George Fistonich started Villa Maria with two red wines. 50 years later he's proving there's more to New Zealand than Sauvignon Blanc.
Australian winemaker Neil McGuigan sips some of his The Semillon Blanc in Dublin

Semillon, But Not As You Know It

Australian winemaker Neil McGuigan is on a mission. To place a new wine in the hearts of NZ Sauvignon Blanc addicts. It's Semillon... with a twist.

SipSwooshSpit on Twitter


  • Paola Tich@LondonWineCirc I forgot to add the Nathan Barley hashtag! - posted on 22/05/2013 22:51:56

  • Paola Tich@O_Legrand_IR I shall wear my red heels in recognition of your award. - posted on 22/05/2013 22:50:48

  • Paola TichHusband has meeting tomorrow which he fears might be "a bit Sugar Ape" - posted on 22/05/2013 21:11:28

  • Paola Tich@wine_scribbler unlikely, given the reliability of your trains... - posted on 22/05/2013 20:33:59

  • Paola Tich@vinosity @wine_scribbler 40-day aged. Finished off in the oven. Now resting. What cold weather? - posted on 22/05/2013 20:30:10

  • Paola TichI do love a proper burnished ping pong bat of prime rib http://t.co/CDHVGdIcRc - posted on 22/05/2013 20:18:42

  • Paola Tich@DrapersArms pot roast rabbit leg please... - posted on 22/05/2013 17:24:10

  • Paola Tich@DrapersArms @chefjdejong do you deliver to Acton? - posted on 22/05/2013 17:07:17

  • Paola TichSo, I get sent all these goodies by @O_Legrand_IR for the shop, but I think he forgot to slip in a bottle of Cornas (for me). - posted on 22/05/2013 17:06:13