Amanda Barnes, Author at Circle of Wine Writers

Switzerland surprises with staggering assortment of grapes

Posted on August 28, 2024August 30, 2024 by Sue Eames

Sue Eames discovers that the Swiss wine scene isn’t solely about Chasselas, far from it in fact, and is spoilt for choice with a plethora of exciting indigenous varieties, crossings and PIWIs, to choose from. Judging in any wine region is always a great opportunity to visit local wineries and explore the latest trends, and our trip to Le Mondial du Chasselas in Aigle, Switzerland, in late May was...

Komarna breaks through

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Dijana Grgić

Dijana Grgić reports from the sun- and sea-kissed, rocky region that represents a remarkable coming together of man and machine, and is the only exclusively organic growing area in Croatia. Komarna is the youngest wine growing area in Croatia, located in an extremely rocky area, with a plethora of sunny days in the year. It was here, in the early 2000s, that machines ground down through the ston...

Tasting history

Posted on August 28, 2024August 30, 2024 by Dominic Buckwell

Dominic Buckwell raids his own cellar and pours his collection of Château-Grillet wines to a prestigious and appreciative panel, to mark the launch of Liberation Tardive, a new not-for-profit organization that seeks to ensure the market delivers available stocks of older wines. How does it feel to taste something from history? A tiny appellation in Northern Rhône, with Roman origins acclaimed by ...

Leonardslee Family Estates launch and Defined Wine tasting

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues tells the rags-to-riches tale of Penny Streeter, whose English venture has just released its first wines, and catches up with a contract winemaking company and some of its clients. The story is a PR dream: rags-to-riches South Africa-based woman entrepreneur buys crumbling English country house with totally neglected Grade I-listed gardens, plus nearby golf course with hotel, spends h...

Hybrid grapes take Taiwanese wine to the world

Posted on July 30, 2024July 31, 2024 by Leona De Pasquale

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Review of Vienna’s VieVinum 2024

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Jochen Erler

A summer pause and reflection on Let’s talk about…

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Liz Sagues

Summer has brought a brief break in the Circle's Let's talk about... online seminars, but they will be back again very soon, says Liz Sagues. On 3rd September, Alder Yarrow launches the autumn-winter programme with session number 106 as he takes us behind the scenes at the Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative database of old vine vineyards around the globe. Alder, pionee...

Istrian winemakers delight the crowd at the 30th edition of Vinistra

Posted on June 29, 2024June 29, 2024 by Dijana Grgić

Dijana Grgić enjoys some marvellous Malvasias and other local treats at the event held on the Istrian peninsula, which is fast becoming a Croatian classic. The 30th anniversary of Vinistra saw exhibition spaces adorned with the colours of the new logo, which is in the shape of a bunch of grapes, and the different sizes of the berries symbolise the unity of Istrian winemakers. It is precisely this...

New Member: Beth Willard

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Amanda Barnes

Beth Willard was first involved in wine as a buyer but is now a writer and wine judge. For nearly a decade Beth travelled the world buying wine for Direct Wines and received awards including UK Retail Buyer of the Year from the Drinks Business Awards, as well as Personality of the Year from Wines of Rioja. She has now left the commercial world behind and is writing about Spain, her main passion...

Way beyond the Bordeaux comfort zone

Posted on June 29, 2024June 29, 2024 by Michael Fridjhon