Meet the Member: Carla Capalbo

Carla Capalbo
Carla Capalbo is a respected expert in Georgian and Italian wine, having authored several books on the wine countries. Amanda Barnes interviews her about how she got into wine writing and why she'll be making gingerbread again in lockdown.   What’s your earliest memory in wine? I was born in New York City but I grew up in Paris and London and my stepfather had a wine cellar in our house ...
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Georgia on my laptop

georgia wine region visit
Amanda Barnes takes off on a virtual tour of Georgia and its wines, made from an impressive inventory of indigenous grape varieties. I have a friend who always sees the bright side of life. It sounds rather trite to describe someone this way, but I don’t know anyone quite as capable as finding the silver lining as her. During lockdown (Lockdown 1, in April), instead of getting rather depressed ...
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Imprinting Petit Verdot on the wines of Bordeaux

Chateau Meyney
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Appraising Austria’s new single vineyard releases

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Stephen Brook publishes his memoirs ‘Memoirs of a freeloader’

Stephen Brook has been writing about wine and travel for 35 years, and published numerous books and articles on both subjects. In his latest book, Memoirs of a Freeloader, he reveals the lighter side of his occupation: press trips and festivals, officious PRs, venal bloggers, eccentric colleagues, gluttony, and things going wrong. Intended to amuse, not inform, this is an episodic and anecdotal to...
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Full Bodied: The faded memories of a big man in the wine trade

Christopher Fielden spent lockdown earlier this year penning his memoirs, Full Bodied: The faded memories of a big man in the wine trade, which Amanda Barnes reviews this month. We also publish an entertaining extract from the book as Christopher gets to grips with the Albanian wine market. Christopher Fielden has incredible stories that you can truly relish in with him in his newest book, Full B...
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Meet the Member: Christopher Fielden

Christopher Fielden is a well-known personality in the wine industry, having spent the past 60 years working in the trade in various roles. As he releases his new memoir, Full Bodied, Amanda Barnes interviews him about his favourite wine regions, books and why there's no guilty pleasure in his wine closet. Christopher served on the Circle committee for 6 years from 2003 and, during that time, four...
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Meet the Friend: Su-Lin Ong

Su-Lin Ong
Su-Lin Ong is an independent wines and spirits consultant specialising in research and development, marketing and PR. For over 25 years she has worked with both long-established brands and helped launch new entrepreneurial brands, working also on cocktails, beers and tea infusions! Amanda Barnes interviews her about her parents' cocktail trolley, fast cars and slow wine, and why she'll be looking ...
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