a fine panel of judges for @HarpersWine design panel, and a photogenic pint too.

Been a tad slow posting on the wine front having had a summer of music, especially building the bass rig, now a combination of Fender, Gibson, Markbass & Ashdown, and just finishing off the flight case made by me! @Fender @GibsonGuitarUK @MarkbassAmps

Have Bass Will Travel. Back on the Bum Bum Train for show 61.

Details over on our other social media accounts.

Hmm, an interesting day to be tasting a range of Canadian wines. We're starting off with a dry Riesling and two Chardonnay wines from British Columbia. Excellent.

Today looking at alternatives to Burgundy at the Australia & NZ trade event. More than a couple of outstanding wines, inc. Hunter's Marlborough and Kelly Washington, Central Otago both NZ wines.

First tasting of the year is Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies en primeur Burgundy event. Richard Rottiers (l) and Julien Duport are Brouilly based winemakers mainly Gamay although Julienne has a Beaujolais villages white also. A real variation across their respective wines. – at London, England

Ok, that's a wrap! My last column this year for The Wine Merchant Magazine is a film review of Widow Clicquot. Over the next few days, will post highlights from the Autumn portfolio tastings whilst stuffing my face with mince pies and sampling the odd bottle too, call it 'work'

More to NZ than Marlboro Sauvignon. This Riesling is low on residual sugar and packs crunchy fruit with enough acidity to cut through.

Today we’re looking at Bordeaux wines from the Left Bank which are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon based. People will pay large amounts of money for the ones pictured here and mostly couldn’t tell them apart from a bottle of Sainsbury’s Malbec bought for a fiver.

Not often I attend a vertical tasting where we sample first the 2023 new releases then move back through the years. Same wine, 4 vintages. #bordeaux #stemilion

Two varietals to get my head around this week are indigenous to Greece, the Assyrtiko and Malagousia. Once I’ve read my notes it’s entirely possible I’ll have something intelligent to say, or perhaps not.

Patrick Sullivan wine, nestling in Baw Baw Shire between Bull Swamp and Tumblestone, Australia, Patrick makes the most of a cool location to make light fresh wines using Burgundy grapes although the super light chilllable Grenache / Syrah was my pick

Lebanese wine. And why not… #Lebanese #wine

Wine tasting season is back with WineGBs autumn event. Let’s kick the morning off with @ChapelDownWines . The Kit’s Coty range is a step above the wines we’re used to seeing in the supermarkets. Great balance and flavour profiles.

The actual size of an amphora. Kind of. Beckham Estate Wines are unfiltered and natural using terracotta vessels for neutrality in wine making.

an afternoon the Groucho exploring Pays d’Oc wines, couple of highlights here, an Albariño, usually associated with green Spain and a lesser known varietal Bourboulenc, both paired well with a light lunch and lend themselves to warm summer weather being lower ABV

Excellent seafood & wine at O’Belau restaurant in Palau, Sardinia. #vermentino grape is dominant on the island and pairs so well with most dishes.

Looking at how Cava pairs with food, 1st a Brut Zero, aged for 24 months and 90% Parellada grape, matched with asparagus. 2nd aged 48 months so sits above the Reserva and Gran Reserva, Superior de Paraje Calificado. Paired smoked salmon, savoury autolysis stands up to oily fish

I came across LoFi wines when judging for Wines of California and @WineMerchantMag a couple of years ago, so lovely to meet earlier this week. The Gamay remains light and fresh, whilst the Trousseau possibly steals the limelight, spicy ripe fruit and aromatic.