Amanda Barnes, Author at Circle of Wine Writers

A cautionary tale of canfinement

Posted on May 4, 2020May 6, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

An increasingly despairing Tony Harries loses it during lockdown and runs out of supplies. Faced with a difficult choice between two foraged cans of beer and one old bottle of wine that’s way past its best, which will serve to quench our hero’s thirst? I’m going to share a first-world tale of a wine writer. It might shock, it might make you laugh and there might even be one or two who are reac...

Review: Gerard Basset, Tasting Victory

Posted on April 3, 2020April 4, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Unlike many members, I never had the fortune to know Gerard. I did, however, know of Gerard. It seems there are few people in the wine world who have inspired so many others and made them all feel so welcome. Without exception, when his name has come up in conversation – no matter whether that conversation has been in England, France or even Chile – someone has told me about how delightful Gerard ...

Tribute: Michael Broadbent

Posted on April 2, 2020April 4, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Michael Broadbent was one of the wine world's best-known personalities, having worked for over 60 years as an eminent author, critic and auctioneer. A fastidious note-taker, Michael began writing his wine notes in 1952 and wrote over 90,000 wine notes in his lifetime - all of which were kept in red notebooks - including many notes on historic vintages that have rarely been tasted by any other crit...

Friend’s News: Berkmann Wine Cellars launches “Help 4 Hospitality” Campaign

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Friends

To access this post, you must purchase 2026 Premium Friend of the Circle (current Friends renewal only/April), or log in.

How the wine world is coping with coronavirus

Posted on April 2, 2020April 10, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Members of the Circle of Wine Writers take a look at their regions, or regions to which they have recently travelled, to share some insight into how the wine world is coping with Coronavirus and the impact of lockdown and social distancing on their businesses. A letter from the Editor: Well, hasn't life as we know it changed in the last month? Last month, we were beginning to cancel events f...

Meet the Friend: Angela Muir MW

Posted on March 30, 2020March 31, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Angela Muir MW has been working in the wine trade since 1970, right from her first job on leaving Bristol University. Ten years later she became a Master of Wine, in fact one of the first female MWs, and has been a respected consultant to wine producers and companies ever since, establishing her own consultancy company, Cellarworld, in 1993. Amanda Barnes interviews her about her experience in the...

Book Review: The Book of St John

Posted on March 11, 2020March 14, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Many members will be well-aware of Circle Member Trevor Gulliver and his partner Fergus Henderson's popular St John restaurant in London, where offal and the humble pig took the centre stage, and the wine selection came a close second. Earlier this year, they released their book, The Book of St John, which reflects their 'nose-to-tail' ethos of holistic eating (using every part of the animal) and ...

Soaking up sake

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jochen Erler

Ever the keen learner, on his cruise to the Far East, Jochen Erler takes time out to sip some sake at source. As a professional taster of wine and spirits, with some experience as a beer taster in competitions, I have long been intrigued by the similarities between producing beer and whisk(e)y on the one hand, and sake (rice wine) and its distillate on the other. Both have water and grain as thei...

Clearly Bardolino

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Meg Houston Maker

To access this post, you must purchase 2026 Premium Friend of the Circle (current Friends renewal only/April), or log in.

A look at 2019 Chianti Classico

Posted on March 11, 2020March 14, 2020 by John Salvi MW

John Salvi MW attends Chianti Classico Collection 2020 and crafts his conclusions on the 2019 vintage by digging deep into the factors that have delivered a generous yield of wonderful wines. A record number of producers turned out at the 2020 edition of Chianti Classico Collection, and more than ever before showed their new vintage – the 2019. There were 56 producers pouring 2019s at the Stazio...