A toast to darling-grape Chardonnay

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A toast to darling-grape Chardonnay
If there’s one grape variety that deserves to be celebrated, it’s got to be Chardonnay. Not only is it the ingredient of white burgundy and an important part of the blend of most champagnes, Chardonnay is responsible for a disproportionate amount of the world’s finest whites and simply the number-one selling white wine varietal in [...]

Contemporary Cabernet Sauvignon

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Contemporary Cabernet Sauvignon
While vino-fashionistas have thrown it off like an old winter coat, to most wine drinkers Cabernet Sauvignon is still that classic black dress that never goes out of style. Labels draped with names of other trendy, rare grape varieties get all the hype now. Yet let’s not forget: Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most planted [...]

Growing Fond of Grenache Noir

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Growing Fond of Grenache Noir

If I could, I would fly this grape on a flagstaff. Of course, it’s impractical: Grenache is so juicy it would goo and glop away. Lately, I’ve grown fond of this dark-skinned grape variety that comes in a vast variety of different wine styles and which has also found local favour. Grenache Noir is its … Read More

Good ol’ Chardonnay

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Good ol’ Chardonnay

Chardonnay has received quite a bit of flak in recent years for not being the most exciting of white wine varieties. Truth be told, there are other thrilling grapes and wines around that are capable of tasting more pronounced, and which often have a more fascinating story to tell. However, some of all this ‘chard-bashing’ … Read More

You say varietal, I say variety

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You say varietal, I say variety

Rummaging through the pages of a keepsake wine list of a long-forgotten Maltese restaurant with a three-colour charcoal drawing on the cover of a bottle of Pommard next to a pair of vermouth glasses, I realise how wine preferences have changed. Judging by the vintages and prices, the faded list must be about 50 years … Read More