News

Balkans wine expert Caroline Gilby MW was named "Wine Personality of the Balkans" during the official gala dinner after the end of the successful 11th edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition (BIWC). "It was a great honour to receive this award at the Balkans International Wine Competition," says Gilby. "After so many years of tasting, narrating, and writing about wines from the Balk...

Circle member Markus Hungerbühler has become a Chevalier de la Confrérie de Tastevin, part of an exclusive fraternity in Burgundy. He was introduced to the Confrèrie des Chevaliers du Tastevin by fellow members and Chevaliers Vivienne Franks and Sue Eames. He shares some of his thoughts on the region: "A few years ago, I was able to visit Burgundy with the importer of Joseph Drouhin wines. We vis...

In a star-studded awards evening, Circle Member Amanda Barnes won the Fortnum & Mason Award for Debut Drinks Book for The South America Wine Guide. Celebrating the tenth year of the annual Food & Drinks Awards, the event held on 12th May championed some of the UK's leading and emerging voices in food and drinks communication. Circle Member Billy Abbott was also nominated for the Debu...

A beautiful shot, ‘Gathering prunings on Corton Hill’, by Jon Wyand, has won the prestigious Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year category of Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2022, the world’s leading celebration of food and wine photography and film. The photograph, taken early on a bright winter’s morning, captures an industrious worker gathering prunings at the Corton Les Bressand...

Michael Pinkus is a multi-award-winning wine writer, national and international wine judge, educator, journalist, social-media content maker, host and co-creator of the podcast Two Guys Talking Wine. He is also former President of the Wine Writers’ Circe of Canada (2010-2015).  He has been called "a very knowledgeable and honest taster and writer"; "a passionate wine man with a sense of humor"; a...

Elizabeth Smith is a former community college professor of French and Spanish turned award-winning writer, copywriter, and journalist by way of a detour through the Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine industries. She is the lead product copywriter for Naked Wines USA, as well as a contributing wine, food, travel, and lifestyle journalist to Food, Wine, and Travel (FWT) Magazine, Napa Valley Lif...

Welcome to Tobias ‘Toby’ Gorn as a new Circle Member. Toby is an award-winning drinks and cigar writer with several columns in print and online. He has two decades of experience in the industry, including being head sommelier for Michelin star awarded establishments and is a Scotch Malt Whisky Society veteran. Throughout his career, in addition to wine, he has always loved whiskies, gin and the...

The shortlist for the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022 is out, and Circle members Billy Abbott and Amanda Barnes are both shortlisted for the Debut Drink Book Award. Now in its tenth edition, the awards celebrate drinks, cookery and food books as well as awards for food and drinks writers and televisions presenters. For the Debut Drink Book Award, Billy Abbott is shortlisted with ...