Features Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

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...

From the Chair: Credentials optional

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Meg Maker

Meg Maker explores the differences between educating yourself in wine, and training yourself as a writer. I've been rummaging through older wine writing, material from 50 or 60 years ago, trying make sense of our craft’s recent history. It’s been fun. I’ve stumbled onto tasting notes from the year I was born. I’ve been reminded of great personalities, like Lalou Bize-Leroy, Becky Wasserman, and A...

Doing the wine math: Review of Grape Explications by Neal D. Hulkower

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Sunny Hodge

Sunny Hodge reviews a kind of ‘best of’ Neal D. Hulkower, whose works span a vast range of vinous topics, incorporating his expert application of the world of mathematics to that of the vine. For those of you not yet familiar with Hulkower’s writing, he has been a prudent book reviewer, essayist, wine journalist and efficacious tasting-note-taker since his fixation with wine first took grip in 19...

The vinous Velvet Revolution

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Jochen Erler

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From the Chair: The trap of linguistic tropes

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Meg Maker

While attending a new Pinot Noir symposium in Oxford, Meg Maker considers the trap of repeating cliches. I’ve just returned from Oxford University, where I participated in the inaugural Pinot Noir and Identity Symposium. The event, a culmination of four years’ work by the organising committee, convened academics, independent researchers, and passionate wine advocates for three days of discussion...

A bodega to remember

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Colin Harkness

Colin Harkness encounters classy, memorable kosher wines from the mountains of DO Utiel-Requena. I expect it’s largely the same with most ‘Old World’ wines, but when it comes to Spain, there’s almost always a story behind each wine and every producer. Like some grape varieties, sadly, several of these tales might have been lost in the mists of time, but some, against all odds, are enduring. And t...

From the land to the label

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Wendy Narby

Identity theft and loss in the Spanish wine world

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Colin Harkness