December 2018
Bordeaux
Tim Sykes & David Marsh
Gallery
Bordeaux
Wines at Château Ad Francos
Our buyer Tim Sykes has been working hard to build up our range of 'petits châteaux' clarets from the lesser-known appellations in Bordeaux. Head of Information Systems and Bordeaux enthusiast David Marsh witnessed the effort that goes into this first-hand (you have to 'kiss a lot of frogs!' and how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to blending our Society's Sauvignon Blanc. Oh, and being a bit of a foodie, David provides some tips on good addresses for those that might want to visit this great wine city.
Tim Sykes & David Marsh
Bordeaux
Early-morning wake-up call - the mouth-puckering line up of young sauvignons!
Bordeaux
First evening tasting with van den Linden
Bordeaux
Jean-Marie and Gwen from the co-op with Tim in the lab-style blending room
Bordeaux
Tim and Maria Mercier from Sovex with the wines lined up behind
Bordeaux
Tim in the tasting room at Château Thieuley
Bordeaux
Tim catches up with Jean-Michel Baudet on the 2018 vintage with agent Alice Macleod-Dumas
Bordeaux
Tim discussing his views on the wines with the winemaker from Ad Francos and Christina from their agents
Bordeaux
Dinner at Le Chien de Pavlov
Bordeaux
Left to right: Fabrice and his brother Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu with our buyer Tim Sykes
Bordeaux
Just as big on the outside and more like an oil refinery than a winery. We estimated that our total stocks of all our wine at The Wine Society (and we have a lot) would fit into these tanks with one or two spare for good measure.
Bordeaux
Tartare of scallops which was sublime !
Bordeaux
The cockle risotto at Belle Campagne, which turned out to be made from pearl barley rather than rice, but which provided an interesting and different starter.
Bordeaux
Chateau de la Grave Bordeaux
Bordeaux
2018 Chateau Thieuley Blanc in its 'raw' state
Bordeaux
Home from home! The functional HQ of our next port of call just off the ring road
Bordeaux
Christmas dinner table at Ad Francos
October 2018
Burgundy
Matthew Horsley
Gallery
Burgundy
Domaine Chanson, Burgundy
Our buyer Toby Morrhall spends a good deal of time fossicking among the intricate and often tiny vineyards of Burgundy & tasting extensively in growers' cellars to select the best wines to offer en primeur. I joined him for a couple of days in this exercise. It was my first trip to the region and though I love white Burgundy, I am not afraid to admit that I have never experienced that 'wow' moment with red Burgundy… was this to be the time?
Matthew Horsley
Burgundy
The star of the show – my 'wow' moment. Sorry it's not such a 'wow' picture!
Burgundy
Montrachet in the rain – there's a beautiful vineyard out there somewhere!
Burgundy
Domaine Drouhin-Laroze – one of the prettiest cellars
Burgundy
Château de Meursault
Burgundy
Burgundy village in winter
Burgundy
Route des Grands Crus
Burgundy
Volnay in the background
Burgundy
Vineyard. Pommard, Cote de Beaune, d'Or, Burgundy, France
Burgundy
Vineyards around the pretty village of Gevrey-Chambertin – more Mondrian in style!
Burgundy
Château Meursault
October 2018
Piedmont
Matthew Horsley
Gallery
Piedmont
View from Verduno to La Morra
Tasting 2015 Barolos ahead of our en primeur offer with not one but two masters of wine (current buyer Sebastian Payne and Italy-buyer-in-waiting, Sarah Knowles) was a real treat. Even for MWs, this complex region is challenging, but the rewards are immense.
Matthew Horsley
Piedmont
The hill-top town of La Morra
Piedmont
Nadia Curto - Winemaker in Barolo, Italy
Piedmont
Brother and sister team, Marco and Paola at Ciabot Berton
Piedmont
View of Barolo from Ciabot Berton
Piedmont
After many years in the planning, Silvano Bolmida's new winery is well underway
Piedmont
No Travels in Wine report is complete without a picture of a cellar dog and they don't come much cuter than Silvano's!
Piedmont
Bricco Boschis vineyard
Piedmont
Alfio Cavallotto
Piedmont
Steep vineyards in Serralunga
Piedmont
Tajarin – the thin, rich pasta of Piedmont
Piedmont
Tajarin – the thin, rich pasta of Piedmont
Piedmont
Tajarin – the thin, rich pasta of Piedmont
January 2019
Rhône
Marcel Orford-Williams
Gallery
Rhône
The author and buyer, Marcel Orford Williams
A crucial part of my role as a Wine Society buyer is visiting all our suppliers. I try to get out to see each of them at least once a year, sometimes more, and of course we are always looking for new people and even new areas to explore.
Marcel Orford-Williams
Rhône
2018 vintage was like no other in the Rhône-back in June appearances are deceptive
Rhône
Bertrand Stehelin and the 2018 Gigondas harvest
Rhône
Cornas from the Tain Co-op bearing the name of its late general manager
Rhône
Hermitage la Chapelle Hermitage in the June heat
Rhône
Jean Louis Chave's herb garden from where biodynamic treatments are created
Rhône
Jérôme Quiot and his wife Geneviève
Rhône
Mildew affected vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Rhône
Perfect view spot - Tain l'Hermitage in June
Rhône
Saint Joseph in the heart of the appellation
Rhône
Saint Joseph vines above the town of Tournon
Rhône
The Ardèche - a fine gorge with excellent vineyards on the plateau
Rhône
Well known view of the chapel on the hill of Hermitage during the summer
March 2018
Greece
Sebastian Payne MW & Freddy Bulmer
Gallery
Greece
2015 Hatzidakis Mavrotragano is the perfect pairing for hearty food. Unusually the next vintage we will be selling is the 2014 however upon tasting that, the next morning after this dinner, it's gorgeous stuff!
A mini Greek Odyssey: not long or epic, but a trip to Greece last spring with Freddy Bulmer was both inspirational and rejuvenating.
Sebastian Payne MW
Greece
Semeli Mantinia Nassiakos - A 2018 Wine Champion pictured in its natural habitat!
Greece
All systems go in Santorini, where everything is being rebuilt, repainted and cleaned, ahead of the holiday season starting.
Greece
An idyllic little chapel in Santorini, over the road from the villa where I stayed the night.
Greece
Despite the arid, sandy soils in this part of Crete, there is an abundance of herbs and flowers
Greece
Enjoying a glass of Hatzidakis Aidani in the villa where I was staying – a well-deserved treat upon finally arriving in Santorini
Greece
It's not always so glamorous being a wine buyer! Going from little airport to little airport, often without enough seats for the passengers, Freddy Bulmer does the gentlemanly thing and gives his seat up for his elders!
Greece
Nikos Karavitakis, the new generation at the Karavitakis winery and buyer Freddy Bulmer, looking at their exciting new vineyard site in Crete
Greece
Picture-postcard perfect, Freddy captures the sun setting over some of the smaller islands, from the coast of Santorini before heading to the mainland to join Sebastian Payne
Greece
Buyers Sebastian Payne MW and Freddy Bulmer visit Tetrámythos in the northern Peloponnese where Panayiotis Papagiannopoulos shows them one of his beautiful organic vineyards which is so full of life with a huge variety of herbs (which they even tasted!)
Greece
The line-up following a superb range tasting with Panayiotis at Tetrámythos. Freddy was amazed at the quality of the 2017 roditis natur made with very low SO2
Greece
An exciting new discovery from Tetramythos, a natural Roditis. Clean as a whistle.
Greece
Panayiotis Papagiannopoulos, the wonderful winemaker at Tetrámythos, with one of his clay amphorae. You cannot make wines using this ancient technique unless your winery is spotlessly clean
Greece
We went to see the ruins of Ancient Nemea for a dose of history. As a classics scholar Sebastian Payne MW knows his ancient Greece as well as his wines – Freddy looks suitably impressed!
Greece
The beautiful countryside view from the Semeli winery
Greece
The beautiful views from one of Apostolos' Rapsani vineyards – the wine from here is as good as its surroundings suggest it should be!
Greece
The vibrant, hectic and wonderful Apostolos Thymiopolos with Sebastian Payne MW
Greece
Delicious and exciting wines tasted at the Hatzidakis winery
Greece
The vibrant, hectic and wonderful Apostolos Thymiopolos with a big bottle of something special
Greece
When we visited Skouras, we then stayed the night in nearby Nafplion. With a couple of hours to spare before dinner, Freddy decided to climb the 1000 steps to the top of the fortress which overlooks the town.
March 2018
Romania
Freddy Bulmer &
Mahesh Bharwaney
Gallery
Romania
We made it! Buyer Freddy Bulmer and Mahesh Bharwaney, Regional Merchandiser for Romania taking a breather after the long journey east from Stevenage to Dragasani, the home of Prince Stirbey
By royal invitation: a journey from Stevenage to the vineyards of Prince Stirbey in Drăgăsani. A story of love and redemption and Romanian wine revival.
Mahesh Bharwaney
Romania
The local tamâioasa româneasca (tammy-wasa romi neasca) grape makes both dry and sweet wines. A member of the muscat family, it is sometimes referred to as the frankincense grape because of its ethereal, heady aroma
Romania
On the way to Dragasani we stopped off at Maldaresti renowned for its cule or fortified 16th-century manor houses built in defence against the marauding Turks. Now open to visitors and even to hire out as holiday homes!
Romania
Our buyer Freddy Bulmer has car envy! A Romanian classic: Dacia cars are the most popular on the road but horse and cart still figure in the top 10!
Romania
Homebrew by the side of the road…tempting but our team pressed on to Dragasani!
Romania
Wonderfully green Romanian landscape – a nice break from our hot summer!
Romania
Homegrown grapes for breakfast – simple and delicious
Romania
Baroness Ileana Kripp-Costinescu and Jakob Kripp
Romania
Dumitru Nedelut tended the Stirbey vines, keeping them in good condition during the communist period and remains the domaine's agronomist to this day
Romania
Jakob walking through the vineyards between rain showers
Romania
Dumitru took great delight in showing us around his well-tended vineyards. Left to right: Dumitru Nedelut, agronomist, Mahesh Bharwaney, Richard Fox, UK agent for Prince Stirbey and Wine Society buyer, Freddy Bulmer
Romania
Fetita the vineyard dog at Prince Stirbey who has years of professionally barking at grapes behind her!
Romania
Anton the vineyard donkey at Prince Stirbey
Romania
Prince Stirbey's German winemaker Oliver Bauer who also fell in love with Romania with buyer Freddy Bulmer
Romania
As well as making the Prince Stirbey wines, winemaker Oliver Bauer crafts his own from his own vineyards where he can experiment to his heart's content!
Romania
We managed to do a bit of sight-seeing on this trip and were taken to some beautiful places like the historic Dintr-un Lemn monastery
Romania
Mahesh admires the UNESCO World Heritage Horezu monastery
Romania
Passing the time peacefully inside the cloisters of the Horezu monastery
Romania
Dintr-un Lemn means 'one wood' and this was the original chapel which legend has it was constructed from one tree
March 2018
Alsace
Joanna Locke MW &
Joanna Goodman
Gallery
Alsace
The wonderfully ott fountain of Neptune in Stanislas Square. Worth the detour!
Would I like to drive out to Alsace with our buyer Jo Locke MW to collect some samples and meet some of our growers? Well, of course I would! Who wouldn't? Here's how it went and what we learned along the way.
Joanna Goodman News & Content Editor
Alsace
A tower or fortress tops just about every pinnacle along the crest of the Vosges foothills, reminding you of the area's troubled past
Alsace
Riquewihr's pretty coloured buildings
Alsace
On the blackboard in a restaurant in Riquewihr – succinctly put Christian! 'A little glass of Alsace is like a summer dress, a flower in springtime, a ray of sunshine come to brighten up your life'
Alsace
Alsace is one of France's most northerly wine regions, winemakers here aim for ethereal beauty rather than sheer power in their wines
Alsace
Early for our first appointment at Schlumberger, is this a first?!
Alsace
Smiley Séverine Schlumberger with Jo Locke MW
Alsace
Pretty little Bergholtz, just 3km south of Guebwiller
Alsace
Joanna Locke MW with Jean-Pierre Dirler
Alsace
View of the Clos St Landelin from the Muré tasting room
Alsace
Clos St Landelin Pinot Noir 2016 more profound just on the nose alone!
Alsace
Beautiful labels hand painted by the cousin of Jean's grandfather
Alsace
Beautiful painting at Albert Boxler by Masse
Alsace
The impressive Germanic-looking railway station
June 2018
Hungary
Sebastian Payne MW &
Freddy Bulmer
Gallery
Hungary
Neat rows of vines in the Betsek vineyard of Tokaj
Freddy Bulmer and I made a hot and sticky visit to Hungary this summer. The winemaking regions are far apart but we were thrilled with what we found as this historic wine nation starts to really hit its stride.
Sebastian Payne MW
Hungary
A beautiful spot to drop anchor...
Hungary
Freddy with Lilla O'Connor, the person behind Wines of Hungary in the UK and the trip organiser
Hungary
Hobbits would be quite at home making wine in Tokaj!
Hungary
Freddy and Furmint, the vineyard dog
Hungary
Veronika Gál joined by her brother Titi (left) and Károly Adamovich of Ostoros winery (right)
Hungary
A hot day for working the vienayards of Somló
Hungary
Budapest has the most wonderful architecture, all so clean and beautifully preserved.
Hungary
The beautiful view from the Sik-hegy vineyard in Eger
April & September 2018
South Africa
Joanna Locke MW
Gallery
South Africa
View from Eagles' Nest in Constantia – 'The beauty of vineyards like this keeps us tied, love-struck to our jobs', Joanna Locke MW, buyer for South Africa
I was lucky enough to visit South Africa twice in 2018, rekindling my love for the Cape winelands and the country's super passionate growers in April and tasting some mature gems on my return in September as well seeing some of the sights of this beautiful country.
Joanna Locke MW
South Africa
Mont Blois in Robertson is now being run by a beautiful young husband-and-wife team, Ernst and Nina-Mari Bruwer, who have brought a new energy (in more ways than one) to this large sixth-generation family estate
South Africa
Roelf du Preez and favoured hound at Bon Cap, Robertson. Michelle and Roelf who have bounced back from the challenges that led them to sell a chunk of the farm and are now arable farming and running a successful wedding and events venue. One day they hope to make wine again!
South Africa
Wildeberg cellar above Franschhoek
South Africa
The spectacular backdrop to our tasting at Walker Bay Vineyards
South Africa
After 18 years at Tokara, Miles Mossop is going it alone. He has taken on some consultancy work but his main focus now is on his own label. He was sporting a new look (all to do with a friend's birthday party, apparently) but I am happy to report there was no concurrent change in the wines!
South Africa
Pella Wines was totally new to me, though its home in the Stellenboschkloof means it is not far from our old friends at De Morgenzon and Jordan. The view from their property was stunning
South Africa
Bruwer Raats is a charming man, another gentle giant, and though he certainly has a big personality he was super modest (and clearly super chuffed) about his Platter's Winery of the Year award this year
South Africa
How well do South African wines age? Very well! That's what I discovered when I returned to the Cape and attended some incredible tastings. Greg Sherwood MW at The Whole Bunch Heritage tasting
South Africa
At Delheim where my delicious homemade Bobotie (a national dish of South Africa: a delicious mix of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka) at their lovely 'cottage' restaurant was graced with a gorgeous Delheim Grand Reserve 1987, a lovely elegant wine and also still very much alive
South Africa
Tasting through the whole series of Liberator wines in Cape Town
South Africa
Tokara new winemaker Stuart Botha, formerly of Eagles' Nest (left) with GM Karl Lambour
South Africa
L'Avenir, now under new ownership, much work has been done in the vineyards (which looked simply stunning), cellar and visitor facilities. 'Back to being Proudly South African' said cellarmaster Dirk Coetzee
South Africa
An art student hard at work at Spier where there is an art gallery and workshop, showcasing just one of the community projects that are behind so much of what goes on here, under the appropriately coined 'Growing for Good' initiative. Many members have recommended a visit here and I was pleased to be able to make it at last
South Africa
Another of the social initiatives at Spier: innovative greenhouse made from recycled plastic bottles at Spier
South Africa
The former Zoo Biscuits, now Zoo Cru, an informal group of like-minded individuals including New Wave luminaries such as Chris Alheit, John Seccombe and Duncan Savage, had a 1970s theme on their stand at the Cape Wine Show
South Africa
Possible future Tasting Room at Mont Blois in Robertson
South Africa
Lukas van Loggerenberg - barrel logistics in Lukas shed
South Africa
Dam and Tasting room at Wildeberg
South Africa
Tasting at Walker Bay Vineyards with what must be one of the most spectacular backdrops
South Africa
At Delheim I had a fantastic homemade Bobotie (a national dish of South Africa: a delicious mix of curried meat and fruit with a creamy golden topping, not dissimilar to moussaka) at their lovely 'cottage' restaurant
January 2018
Austria
Freddy Bulmer &
Rosie Allen
Gallery
Austria
The beautiful Schloss Gobelsburg
Visionary winemakers, a raging natural-wine debate and revelations on a scandal aren't what I was expecting when I joined buyer Freddy Bulmer on his first buying trip to Austria earlier this year.
Rosie Allen
Austria
Freddy meets Michael Moosbrugger
Austria
Peter Rethaller shows us the new Society Grüner
Austria
The beautiful view from a hilltop vineyard by the Danube
Austria
Christina and Rainer Wess at their Kamptal winery
Austria
Freddy absolutely loving riesling!
Austria
A closer look at the unique soils of the Kamptal region
Austria
Freddy with Gerhard Pittnauer at his uber-cool winery
Austria
Riesling and grüner seeing some oak barrel ageing for added complexity
October 2017
Jerez
Tim Sykes
Gallery
Sherry
A tasting at the Consejo of sherry in its multifarious styles – a great introduction to the region
A keen drinker and advocate of sherry, I was delighted to find responsibility for sourcing these finest of fortifieds come my way.
Tim Sykes
Sherry
A welcome bit of shade at Osborne's historic bodega in El Puerto de Santa María
Sherry
An exciting new Solera of our very own to get even greater consistency between bottlings of our Exhibition Olorosos
Sherry
The layer of yeast (flor) which grows on the top of fino sherry is even thicker in the coastal town of Sanlúcar, giving an extra tang to the finos here which are known as manzanilla
Sherry
Sánchez Romate supplies us with our Society and Exhibition sherries and has impressive stocks in their very traditional cellars
Sherry
Where the workers eat – backstreet Jerez with Peter Dauthieu
Sherry
Our buyer Tim Sykes enjoying tapas in the cellars at Pedro Romero
Sherry
Sherry barrels at Sanchez R bodega
Sherry
The affable and very able Gerardo del Pino now at the helm of this family-owned almacenista
Sherry
The beautiful and historic cellars of Barbadillo which enjoys an elevated position in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and makes some stunning manzanillas
2018
Rhône
Marcel Orford-Williams
Gallery
Rhône
'The wines have the colour and that sweetness that only comes from sun-drenched grapes. Yet, the wines are not in the slightest flabby; on the contrary, they have good acidity levels. Unquestionably great in the north.'
Barely a drop of rain from April to November led to a tiny crop of, thankfully, high-quality fruit with that glorious sweet ripeness that only comes in the sunniest years.
Marcel Orford-Williams
Rhône
Oeufs brouillés aux truffes noires – a favourite dish of Marcel's at La Beaugravière, a restaurant little changed since Marcel first visited in his early days as a buyer of Rhône wines for The Wine Society
Rhône
There was a tiny crop of grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2017 as throughout much of the Rhône, drought becoming a regular feature of recent vintages
Rhône
The legendary Paul Bocuse, a three-Michelin-starred chef from Lyon who passed away at the venerable age of 91. He believed in fresh ingredients of impeccable quality and a certain simplicity in style. His legacy lives on in so many great eating places. (Credit: Thierry Ehrmann (license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) - some adapations have been made to the original image)
Rhône
Marcel recommends eating at Mangevins in Tain l'Hermitage, tucked away in a side street, close by the famous pedestrian suspension bridge
Rhône
Bastia, Corsica with forest fires raging in the background. Provence didn't escape the fires either with several hundred acres of woodland consumed. Happily no people or vines were hurt
Rhône
Olive groves basking in the heat in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Rhône
Give me a drink! Parched vines in Châteauneuf –du-Pape. Irrigation is in effect legal now in France yet only 10% of vineyards are watered, the issue being mainly one of cost
Rhône
Healthy grenache grapes – in 2017 bunches were looking less abundant but are full of sweetness and, more surprisingly, have good acidity too
2018
Argentina
Toby Morrhall
Gallery
Argentina
Catena's Adrianna vineyard in the exciting subregion of Gualtallary
Argentina's malbecs, with their softly alluring, fruit-forward charm, are deservedly in vogue. I've been buying South American wine for over two decades and have been excited to see the increasing variety and nuance.
Toby Morrhall
Argentina
Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach make small quantities of the exceptional Zaha & Teho wines from old vines planted in Paraje Altamira
Argentina
Mendel's Roberto de la Mota, who makes an extraordinary old-vine semillon in the Paraje Altamira subregion
Argentina
Argentina's most southerly vineyard: Weinert's vines in Chubut, Patagonia
Argentina
Reception is good: making a call in Paraje Altamira
Argentina
Harvesting in the high-altitude Salta region in the north
Argentina
Zuccardi's Finca Los Membrillos in La Consulta with the Andes close by in the background
Argentina
A wine map of Argentina. Used with the kind permission of Sebastián Zuccardi
Argentina
Susana Balbo's La Delfina is a lovely example of the floral, violent-scented style of Paraje Altamira malbec