Category Archives: Other Reds

For ages I thought Durif and Petite Sirah were one and the same grape.  Well, I was wrong.  Don’t I feel like an idiot.  Durif is a cross between Syrah and a grape variety I’ve never heard of, Peloursin (apparently … Continue reading →

We have a lot to thank our forbears for when it comes to adages.  They came up with many a saying or two that are still used today.  One that I thought of straight away when I read the email … Continue reading →

Mataro is so Spanish isn’t it?  I can picture a Spaniard doing the dance of the matador, dressed in his flamboyant costume, saying the word while extending the ‘a’ and rolling the ‘r’, followed by stomping his feet, then placing … Continue reading →

This was quite, let’s say, interesting for me.  I cannot remember ever reviewing a fortified wine…ever!  I mean, I’ve tried plenty of them and I am, without a doubt, a fan so to put one in a glass for me … Continue reading →

How’s this for coincidence.  Very recently we went to a dinner with a group of wine appreciative friends and one of the group brought up the variety Tempranillo.  He gave us three different versions of the word in the space … Continue reading →

It’s less than a week since I last drank a rosé and the quality I’ve been seeing is outstanding.  I can definitely understand why it has made a huge comeback in the wine world.  Winemakers are taking the style very … Continue reading →

Gone are the days when Rosé sat forever and a day on the bottle shop shelf and there may have been one, possibly two, in the fridge.  From conversations with a few bottle shop managers I know, things have certainly … Continue reading →

When I was trying this wine, I got to thinking.  Back in the mid 1800’s when vines were starting to be planted in Mclaren Vale, I wonder if John Reynell and/or Thomas Hardy ever thought to plant Montepulciano vines?  I … Continue reading →

In the past, Pinot Noir rosé has not been my ‘go to’ rosé.  There you go, I said it.  The reason is, they have generally lacked body, been one dimensional, a little on the sweet side and a bit like … Continue reading →

If you’re keen to try a damn good Mataro or a Monastrell, get your mitts around a bottle of this Chapel Hill Mourvèdre.  It may or may not come as a suprise to you, but they are one and the … Continue reading →