Events Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

The soaring story of Etna and Contrade dell’Etna

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Michèle Shah

Michèle Shah attends the 15th edition of the Contrade dell'Etna, which has developed exponentially since it started as a convivial gathering of local winemakers. In tandem, she describes the remarkable re-emergence of Etna’s elegantly energetic wines. In 2008, Andrea Franchetti, a visionary and eclectic wine pioneer — owner of the Passopisciaro estate on Etna and Tenuta di Trinoro in Tuscany — ig...

Awe-inspiring Amarone

Posted on April 29, 2023April 29, 2023 by Filippo Magnani

Filippo Magnani finds himself revelling in the new releases of Valpolicella’s finest and shares his top tips both on what to taste and where to stay. The Amarone Opera Prima took place this year on 4th and 5th February, majestically organized by the Valpolicella Wine Consortium, at the Gran Guardia Palace in the heart of Verona. The president of the consortium, Christian Marchesini, opened the ev...

Rounding up the latest Wine Society offerings

Posted on October 20, 2021October 22, 2021 by Richard Lane

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A Circle Party to remember

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Peter and Susie’s Wine Festival Winchester moves online

Posted on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 by Peter Richards MW

Peter Richards MW and Susie Barrie MW are inviting members to join in their annual Wine Festival Winchester, which this year is going online! Taking place on Saturday 28th November, the day is packed with delicious online wine masterclasses curated via the festival’s website www.thewinefestival.co.uk "We’ve taken our Wine Festival Winchester online, in the spirit of positivity – trying to su...

Let’s talk about self-publishing

Posted on August 9, 2020August 12, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Welcome to the world of lockdown wine webinars

Posted on May 4, 2020May 7, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

Liz Sagues discovers how despite lockdown the wine world still keeps spinning, bringing producers and writers together via a new format of wine tasting and seminar: the wine webinar. She recaps some of her highlights from last month, including the Circle's own series 'Let's talk about...' Spring in Sussex was, for me, due to be punctuated by wine trips to Portugal and the Loire Valley. Of course,...

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...

Shedding light on Slovakian wine

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Jochen Erler

Jochen Erler, who first reported on Slovakian wine in the mid-90s, reflects on the country’s wines after judging at the 2019 edition of Slovakia’s National Wine Competition, held in Pezinok. Pezinok is a pleasant town in the foothills of the Little Carpathian mountain range, reflecting its Austro-Hungarian past in its architecture, and showing a lifestyle á la Vienna with cafés busy all day arou...

Canada Condensed

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Margaret Swaine