NV Prosecco, Extra Dry, Conegliano, Vettori, Veneto, Italy (£15.75, reduced to £14.75 for a single bottle or £13.95 per six if you mention MoneyWeek, Philglas & Swiggot tel. 020 7924 4494 branches in Battersea, Richmond and Marylebone).  I will, of course, drop a Champagne on you in a few week’s... 

Matthew has been away in Australia of late visiting winemakers, organising TouchWine - his charity event for the Hutt Street Centre for the homeless in Adelaide (sadly postponed due to 40 degree heat - but look out for a new date in the New Year), and judging the National Wine Show in Canberra. The National... 

2007 Moric, Blaufränkisch Lutzmannsburg, Alte Reben, Mittelburgenland, Austria (£46.50, Huntsworth Wine tel. 020 7229 1602 & www.huntsworthwine.co.uk; www.slurp.co.uk; Clark Foyster Wines tel. 020 8567 3731).  Winemaker Roland Velich is in a class of his own.  He is a charismatic, shamanic gentleman,... 

2008 Pechstein Forst Riesling, Grosses Gewächs, Reichsrat Von Buhl, Pfalz, Germany (£34.50, Harrods tel. 020 7730 1234).  It is the black basalt soil in this vineyard which gives these Grand Cru Riesling vines their extraordinary complexity.  I tasted the full range of Von Buhl ‘08s the other day... 

For full results of The Great Australian Red 2009 and for the background on this initative please click on this link to the dedicated website - www.thegreataustralianred.com  Read More →

2008 Côtes de Thongue ‘Tradition’, Domaine les Filles de Septembre, Hugues & Roland Géraud, South of France (£7.50, Yapp Brothers Ltd, tel. 01747 860423 & www.yapp.co.uk).   I think that the text-message abbreviation for the impact that this wine has on your senses is ‘OMG’. ... 

This February, I will fly down to Wellington in New Zealand to attend Pinot Noir 2010, one of the most exciting celebrations of the most noble grape variety on the planet.  I hear that over 500 NZPNs will be on show from over 100 wineries and my challenge will be to taste them all and release my annual...