Features Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

Meet the Member: Sue Tolson

Posted on July 6, 2020July 7, 2020 by Sue Tolson

Sue Tolson has become increasingly involved in the Hungarian wine scene, having been based in Budapest for several years. Amanda Barnes interviews her to find out what's happening in Hungarian wine and why she's also keen to unite volcanic wine producers from around the world. What first sparked your interest in wine? My dad enjoyed wine, so I was always a little interested. Funnily enough, he...

Building community to preserve children’s hope

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Cathrine Todd

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When cider is wine

Posted on July 6, 2020July 8, 2020 by Alistair Morrell

Alistair Morrell explores the many parallels between cider/perry and wine, which he feels in its purest form should certainly not be bracketed together with beer. Nevertheless, the process of keeving keeps its unique. Alistair’s presentation to the Circle on the subject can be found on YouTube. When the Cider Is Wine trade alliance was launched at the end of 2018, it raised eyebrows with some bec...

English wine: much more beyond bubbles

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues looks back on last month's Circle of Wine Writers seminar on still English wine and why it sparkles just as much as English sparkling wine. The decision to focus the Circle's June 26th webinar on English still wine rather than sparkling was a deliberate one. Coronavirus restrictions permitting, the committee is planning a masterclass and tasting early in November to help bring the too-...

Château de Pommard: trailblazing a way into the brave new wine world

Posted on July 5, 2020July 6, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

From the comfort of home, Amanda Barnes gets to taste the latest releases of the 300-year-old Burgundy winery and to learn about how despite being highly tech savvy, it is lo-fi in the vineyards and well on the road to becoming certified biodynamic. We’ve all had the age-old argument about whether wine is more about art or science, but how much of it is tech? In today’s fast-moving world, the im...

Meet the Friend: Sam Linter, Wine GB

Posted on July 5, 2020July 8, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Sam Linter, Managing Director & Head Winemaker for Bolney Wine Estate.

Sam Linter is a second-generation winemaker at her family vineyard and winery, Bolney Wine Estate, which was established in West Sussex, in the South Downs, by her parents, in 1972. Since 2019, she has been a director of Wine GB, responsible for helping drive British wine forward in both the local and export markets. Amanda Barnes interviews her about her own experiences as an English winegrower a...

Counting the true cost of wine

Posted on June 29, 2020 by L.M. Archer

A cultural conundrum

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Neal D. Hulkower

Changing the wine business for the better

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Tim Atkin

Book review: Strong, Sweet & Dry by Becky Sue Epstein

Posted on June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Becky Sue Epstein explores the styles and stories of Vermouth, Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala in her latest book, Strong, Sweet & Dry, as Amanda Barnes discovers while reading and reviewing her book during lockdown. Quarantini hour has been the highlight of most of my lockdown days and while I am a big drinker of martini, I have never really given much thought to the Vermouth that ...