Brilliant Reputation - Woeful Image
17 May 2013 Filed in: News & Views Cellar Notes
You may have noticed that World Sherry 'Day' lasts for a week (20th to 26th May). I believe they got that idea from us here in Ireland where St Patrick's Day can last for 10 and, when the Celtic Tiger was roaring loudest, Christmas Day stretched towards three weeks on occasion. Read More...
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The Douro Valley
As befits the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, the Douro Valley makes mincemeat of any descriptive superlative hurled at it, no matter how poetic it might be. Established only by dint of soul-destroying toil in torrid summers and bitter winters, it can safely be asserted that if it was still virgin territory today nobody in their right mind would think of planting vines there. Read More...
Graham's Port
Cussed colonels fulminating from the safe depths of overstuffed leather armchairs may have given port a bad image, with the result that young wine drinkers probably regard a glass with as much suspicion as they would one of hemlock. If so, they are missing out on one of the most glorious transmutations ever achieved with the juice of the grape. A great glass possesses glowing depths of flavour allied to a satin texture and memorable length on the finish. A poor one, like poor wine anywhere, is thin and forgettable. Read More...
The Douro Boys
01 October 2010 Filed in: Food & Wine Travel
There is nowhere like the Douro Valley. Nowhere. Words and superlatives are stretched to breaking point to describe it and then discarded when found to be totally useless. The message is simple: if you are going to visit only one wine region in your life and you want stunning, rugged, raw, primal beauty then get yourself to the Douro. The vistas here are not picture postcard pretty. The vineyards are not manicured. No make-up has been applied. Read More...
