This week I was lucky to take part in grape picking for a morning at Heron’s Flight vineyard in Matakana. Heron’s Flight is a small, family-owned vineyard, with grapes first planted by David Hoskins and Mary Evans in 1987. They specialise in Italian varietals and only grow Sangiovese and Dolcetto, I’d been there before for one of their pizza afternoons – see the review here. … Continue reading Picking the bunch at Heron’s Flight Matakana
Food and wine go hand in hand, so we were pleased to come across Matakana’s Runner Duck Estate which is complemented by Plume restaurant. Husband and wife team team Farida and Clyde Cooper swapped a successful business in Mumbai, India for a small patch of vines just north of Auckland, NZ where they pursue their passion for food and wine. This is a small boutique estate … Continue reading Cellar door visit: Runner Duck Estate/Plume Matakana
On a sunny spring afternoon we drove up to Matakana, (about an hour from Auckland, NZ) to check out some of the local wineries. Given Heron’s Flight were celebrating 20 years of their cellar door open with woodfire pizzas on the go we decided to visit. We did a tasting with David Hoskins, who established the vineyard and winery along with his partner Mary Evans. … Continue reading Vineyard visit: Heron’s Flight Matakana
I was lucky enough to get invited to the Burgundy Tasting at Harrods, I was extremely excited for two reasons – the Burgundy region is renowned for their Chardonnay (which I love) and Pinot Noir (which I also love). The region itself has a pretty amazing history, with Burgundian wines recognised for their quality as early as 591, and they are extremely focused on terroir, … Continue reading Wine review: Chateau Fuisse Pouilly Fuisse Tete de Cru 2007
In London cycling is a no brainer over the warmer months. It’s fast, it’s cheap and it’s damn easy. There’s no need to worry about the last tube or having to squeeze onto a bus full of drunk/grumpy/smelly/rude people. However, when riding a bike built for serious city commuting (with no parcel tray or basket) transporting wine becomes an ugly chore. The sweaty back pack … Continue reading Have wine, will cycle. With style.
Being in the Laguedoc-Rousillon of France we had the good fortune of staying in Agde while Vinocap was on – we had to go. For 5 Euros you got a wine glass and access to more than 80 local producers (and their wines!) set up around the marina. A lazy outdoor tasting in the sun is the best way to taste wine, we even had … Continue reading Vinocap 2011, tre bien!
Winehos returned to Harrods for taste of sunshine at their California Wine Road Trip tasting experience. The team hand picked 39 producers to showcase their wines which proved to be a packed out event. I think I was probably the youngest person there (apart from some of the people on duty!). California isn’t a new wine region, they’ve harvested grapes since the 18th century but … Continue reading California Dreaming at Harrods and Verite vs Verite
The Decanter World Wine Awards are all about finding the best wines in the market, no matter where it’s from or what the price. Winehos sat down with Decanter Chairman Steven Spurrier and Decanter Publishing Director Sarah Kemp to talk more about the awards. This year more than 12,000 wines were entered. Now before we get started it pays to note that Steven is a … Continue reading The 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards, Steven Spurrier and Sarah Kemp
You either love it or hate it, but either way if you’re involved in the wine world the London International Wine Fair (LIWF) is a compulsory event. Thousands of people attended the industry trade fair which showcases some of the world’s best new talent as well as some old favourites. It’s hosted in the Excel Centre which is a little way out of the city, … Continue reading London International Wine Fair Destroyed.
Last week I represented Winehos at the Laithwaites Summer tasting. More than 150 wines were on show and the attendees, mainly buyers and press, perused the tables at their leisure. Tasting like this are a fantastic opportunity to try something a little different to what you would usually go for and there are an abundance of wine experts on hand to talk you through anything … Continue reading Summer’s greatest hits and something a little sticky…
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