Amanda Barnes, Author at Circle of Wine Writers

How Satake shaped sake

Posted on October 31, 2025 by William F. O’Connor

William F. O’Connor polishes up our knowledge on the company that made wine-like sake possible. What is the original alcoholic beverage of Japan? Is this a simple question that the vast majority of people are likely to answer correctly? Well, suspicious readers will have accurately guessed that the rhetorical question posed above suggests that the answer is not sake, or nihon-shu. It just has to...

“Wine lit something up inside of me that I have never been able to turn off.”

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Tony Harries

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Unapologetically British

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Robin Goldsmith

Robin Goldsmith heads on down to Hattingley Valley, where he digs deep to uncover the past, present and future of this Hampshire diamond. Peter Ustinov once famously described English wine as his "idea of hell". Yet, this once laughed-at industry is now the UK's fastest growing agricultural sector and wine tourism is gathering speed, too. Latest figures show that there are 1,104 vineyards in the ...

September’s contrasting Let’s talk about… sessions

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues recaps the Let's talk about... sessions of September which looked at the ageability of wines with Kelli White, and a deep dive on the 2025 harvest with select producers from France. The Circle’s two September Let’s talk about… webinars could hardly have been more different: one explored the science of how wine ages, the other examined current challenges — including the 2025 ...

Sicily: Beyond the Volcano

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Robin Goldsmith

Robin Goldsmith explores the Grillo and Nero d'Avola wines of Sicily, beyond the famed volanic region of Etna, while visiting Sicilia En Primeur. A shorter version of this article was originally published by Académie du Vin and the full version is available on The Write Taste. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, covering over 25,000km2. Most of the island is hilly or mount...

Celebrating half a century of a Canadian champion

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Chuck Buyers

Chuck Buyers immerses himself in the annals of Inniskillin, which this year celebrated its golden anniversary, having initially wowed many with its Vidal Icewine of that very colour, and then with plenty more. Not bad for an idea many once scoffed at. “This cannot work! What a stupid and ridiculous idea! Growing premium vines and – Vinifera to boot – in Ontario? They’ll never get it off the groun...

Review of Champagne: A Global History, 2nd Edition

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Amanda Barnes

Beaucastel reimagined

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Ruma Singh

Ruma Singh reports on the renewal of the Perrin family’s prized possession, which has literally been created from the terroir of the Rhône, with 90% of the materials coming from on-site and the mighty Mistral wind being channeled to cool the cellar. “The future of Château de Beaucastel is inscribed in its past,” said Charles Perrin at the May 2025 inauguration of the most ambitious winery projec...

Hampshire wine through the eyes of its adopted winemakers

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Amanda Barnes

During June’s English Wine Week, Amanda Barnes MW visits three international winemakers who have made Hampshire their vinous home — joining the English wine revolution at different stages of their careers and entering at different points during the industry’s growth. As the British wine industry continues to grow in reputation and momentum, she interviews the winemakers on the potential and challe...

Location, location, location

Posted on August 29, 2025August 29, 2025 by Caroline Gilby MW

Caroline Gilby MW visits five fine Slovenian producers, who are members of the Slovenska Velika Lega organisation, which seeks to convey the story of Slovenia’s most special vineyard wines via plant, place and people. Velika Lega translates as ‘great location’ if you pop it into a translation app. It forms the name of a relatively new organisation, Slovenska Velika Lega (SVL) – a group of wine p...