When I was in Paris last, I popped into Juveniles wine bar for a long leisurely lunch. Juveniles is a Paris institution. It was one of the first wine bar of it’s kind to open in Paris 25 years ago. At the time, the concept of offering various wines by the glass was mostly unheard of in Paris. Scotsman Tim Johnson presides...
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Last week I was in Porto, Portugal for the annual wine show Essencia do Vinho put on by the eponymous magazine, one of the 2 major wine magazines of Portugal. There are over 3000 wines and more then 350 producers on show. The show is for trade during the day and consumers at night. As you can imagine, it does get crowded. They...
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Le Meurice in Paris manages to combine understated elegance with quirkiness while at the same time enveloping you in a cocoon of luxury. That is the best way I can think of to describe this de luxe (in the truest sense of the word) luxury hotel. The history of the hotel goes back to 1771 in Calais where the founder of the hotel,...
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I was in Champagne a few weeks ago when most of Europe was suffering through a bitterly cold “cold-snap”. How cold was it? In the vineyards of the Valle de Marne, in the Champagne region (where I happened to be), it was -18 Celcius, that’s O degrees Farenheit. However, when you get invited to go out and taste the...
read moreGuest Post – There are so many great wine blogs out there in the blogosphere. These guest posts are an effort to introduce you to my fellow wine bloggers, people who’s blogs I enjoy reading and who I’ve meet up with over a glass or two. This week’s post is from Paris based, English blogger, Donald Edwards,...
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2012 sure is shaping up to be the year to be in London. So, we’ve got the Olympics, the Para-Olympics, the Queen’s Jubilee etc. But what made it even more special, for me, was this was the year that the Primum Familiae Vini came to town. The PFV picks an international capital city once a year to play host to them. Now...
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Champagne. The word conjures up decadence, luxury, a love of life, tiny bubbles and… seashells? Seashells may not be on the top of your list when the word champagne pops up but they are an integral part of what makes champagne, champagne. Hidden beneath our feet lies the soul of champagne, the calcarous soil. While it may...
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I was invited to discover a great little luxury hotel in Paris by PRCo recently. It’s called The Lancaster and although it might not be as well known as the Ritz or George V, it’s worth considering when you’re looking for a more intimate lux experience. The hotel is part of the Spanish group, Hospes Infinite...
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The Winesleuth is venturing into the world of podcasting. This is my first effort and I’m still learning how to use everything so bear with me, they will get a bit more polished as time goes by. The aim of this podcast is not necessarily to be educational, although, if you do learn something, that’s great! This is...
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A few weeks ago I went to a wine workshop organized by the Chilean premium wine producer, Santa Rita Estates on the top floor of Millbank Tower. What a view! What was just as impressive was the vertical of their super premium wine, Casa Real. Going back to the first vintate 1989, we tasted through to the latest 2010. Casa Real is...
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