Latest On The Circular
From the Chair: Are we trying too hard to explain wine?
Circle Chair Meg Maker questions the role of the reader in wine writing, and in doing so, reflects on the purpose of the writing itself.
I recently published a long memoiristic essay about a press trip I’d taken in Northern Italy. A fellow wine journalist posted a comment asking, “Who’s the reader?”
It’s a valid question. Whenever we sit down to write an article, we should consider our reader, a...
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Meet the Friend: Nicolas Bates, Wine GB
Nicola Bates, CEO of Wine GB, shares the mission of the trade body and what we can look forward to in English Wine Week.
Could you describe the mission and scope of Wine GB?
WineGB is the trade association that cultivates success for the UK domestic wine industry. We represent the industry to the government, media, and trade and provide support and leadership with education, networking, advice...
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Gallery: Cyprus Trip 2025 by Matt Wilson
Matt Wilson shares a collection of photos taken on the Circle trip to Cyrus in spring 2025.
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Meet the Friend: Michele Bertuzzo, Studio Cru
Michele Bertuzzo is the CEO of Studio Cru, “a communication agency specialised in wine and high-end gastronomy” based in Vicenza, Italy.
In a sentence or two, could you describe the mission and scope of your company?
Studio Cru supports wineries in discovering what truly makes them unique and inimitable. We seek the most effective language to express this uniqueness and connect people around new...
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New Member: Benjamin Roelfs
Originally trained as a sommelier, Benjamin Roelfs from Netherlands has seamlessly blended his passion for wine with his talent for writing. When he's not immersed in his full-time role in the wine industry, he devotes his time to crafting thoughtful, insightful articles—primarily focused on Alsace, the region he knows best. His work has appeared in renowned publications such as The Drinks Busines...
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A first-timer’s wild ride at ProWein
After years of hearing the buzz, Robert Smyth finally made it to what until recently has been the wine world’s biggest playground: ProWein. Armed with a notebook in one hand and a tasting glass in the other, he dove headfirst into the chaos, the chatter, and the clinking glasses of Düsseldorf.
The air was thick with excitement and foreboding, what with talk of impending US tariff hikes, as other ...
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Let’s Talk About… April’s extremely topical sessions
Liz Sagues recaps the highly topical talks this month in the Circle's Let's Talk About... series.
The second of the two April Let’s Talk About... sessions could hardly have been more topical. As Benjamin North Spencer recounted the story of the new wines of Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano rumbled and grumbled in the background, in its most explosive eruption for more than two decades. The...
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Members’ insights: Navigating the trade war
Circle members share their perspectives on how wine writers and communicators should respond to the current trade war, and what the future might hold. These interviews are part of Meg Maker's 'Navigating the trade war – a communicator’s role From the Chair: Navigating the trade war – a communicator’s role' feature.
Sunny Hodge (UK)
In the short term, Hodge anticipates wine communicator...
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From the Chair: How should wine writers respond to a global trade war?
Circle Chair Meg Maker reached out to members and others for insights about how wine and spirits communicators should address the current moment.
What is the role and future of wine writing given this moment of global economic uncertainty? At the extreme, the flow of wine will slow, prices will rise, wine consumption will drop, and wine consumer demographics will shift. Wine communication will sh...
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Nebbiolo, Dialect, and Dinner: Notes from Alba
In January, Meg Maker spent four days in Piemonte tasting Nebbiolo in all its expressions, publishing her notes and reflections as The Piedmont Diaries. Below is an excerpt from a special dinner — and the stimulating conversations it sparked.
I arrived at Enoclub, a stylish restaurant in central Alba, and was ushered to a table in a vaulted room, warmly lit but with a cellar-like vibe, where th...
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