Features Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

A dearth of diversity

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Sumi Sarma

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Let’s taste… Cali Cab

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Amanda Barnes

With the wines in her glass and the winemakers live on her laptop, Amanda Barnes is virtually transported to California in the inaugural session of the Circle’s new series of wet webinars. Kicking off The Circle’s first ‘Let’s Taste…’ talk series last month, a trio of California vintners took the hot seat, sharing their Cabernet Sauvignon blends last month. As the most planted and most revered va...

Meet the Member: Stephen Skelton MW

Posted on March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by Amanda Barnes

Stephen Skelton MW interview for Circle of Wine writers

Stephen Skelton MW is one of the best-known authors of viticulture with his renowned and best-selling book, Viticulture. Although his knowledge and love of wine far surpass the vineyard, as Amanda Barnes finds out in this interview in which Stephen shares his insights into making English wine, vineyard dogs and Japanese Ladybugs. You had an interesting route into the wine industry as an English ...

Meet the Friend: Dawn Davies MW, The Whisky Exchange

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Amanda Barnes

Dawn Davies MW The Whisky Exchange interview for Circle of Wine Writers

Foot trodden wine and talhas in Alentejo: Simon J Woolf and Ryan Opaz kickstart their new book

Posted on February 26, 2021February 28, 2021 by Simon J Woolf

Exploring the foot trodden and handmade wines of Portugal, Simon J Woolf and Ryan Opaz's new book, Foot Trodden, is being funded and brought to life through a Kickstarter campaign which is live now. In this extract, Simon explores the wines of the Alentejo region in southern Portugal, and, in particular, those that are made in talha clay pots. The best way to understand Alentejo’s stron...

The good, the bad and the ugly: Wine book publishing

Posted on February 8, 2021February 9, 2021 by Simon J Woolf

The story of English wine moves on…

Posted on February 6, 2021February 9, 2021 by Amanda Barnes

Not UK wine, not English wine but Sussex wine – that's the uniquely specific subject of the latest book to focus on a fine modern product that now puts Britain firmly among the world's serious wine nations. Sussex by the Glass: Wines, vines and two pioneering families, by Circle member Liz Sagues, will be published on March 8. The choice of International Women's Day for the launch is deliberate...

Meet the Member: Megumi Nishida

Posted on February 6, 2021February 9, 2021 by Megumi Nishida

Megumi Nishida has been working in wine in Japan since the 1990s and in this Meet the Member interview, Amanda Barnes finds out how the wine industry has evolved there over this time. Megumi also shares why she has always been a fan of Alsace, her views on Japanese wine, and leaves us with a thought-provoking wine Haiku. What's your earliest memory in wine? My mother was born in Yamanash...

Un coup de pied dans la derrière: Steven Spurrier’s famed Judgement of Paris

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Steven Spurrier

Atlantic wines & The wines of Portugal

Posted on February 6, 2021February 9, 2021 by Richard Mayson