Opinion Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

Soaking up sake

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jochen Erler

Ever the keen learner, on his cruise to the Far East, Jochen Erler takes time out to sip some sake at source. As a professional taster of wine and spirits, with some experience as a beer taster in competitions, I have long been intrigued by the similarities between producing beer and whisk(e)y on the one hand, and sake (rice wine) and its distillate on the other. Both have water and grain as thei...

Clearly Bardolino

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Meg Houston Maker

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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...

Pack up your bottles in a bag in box?

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jancis Robinson MW

Jancis Robinson Circle of Wine Writers member on wine bottles and climate change

Living it up at Livres en vignes

Posted on February 4, 2020February 7, 2020 by Jon Wyand

Jon Wyand shows what to expect on bringing out a wine book with a French publisher as he goes under a hedonistic house arrest at Château du Clos de Vougeot. One benefit of struggling through the production of a wine book with a French publisher is that you’ll probably be invited to Livres en Vignes, when it has been published. It’s a kind of house arrest at Château du Clos de Vougeot, where you s...

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...