Latest On The Circular

Tasting through Tokaj

Amanda Barnes takes to the hills of Tokaj to learn about the fascinating history and art of sweet, sparkling and still wines in the region from László Mészáros, director of Disznókõ. “We are the oldest wine region, but still a very young one,” this simple statement made by László Mészáros, director of one of Tokaj’s most esteemed estates, Disznókõ, became increasingly poignant and meaningful to m...
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Meet the Member: Geoffrey Dean

Geoffrey Dean has been writing about cricket since the late 1980s and it was on some of those cricketing adventures abroad that he fell into the world of wine. Since completing the WSET Diploma in 2011, he divides his time between wine regions and cricket tours, writing for several sports and drinks publications in the UK today. Amanda Barnes interviews him for our Meet the Member interview, while...
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Snapping Santorini

Jon Wyand shoots wine, wineries, vintners, vineyards, white churches and the breeze in a study trip diary about the superbly scenic Cyclades island that’s written from a photographer’s angle and perspective. Monday 17th April. 4 am. The big day has arrived. Everyone has been telling me how wonderful Santorini is. ‘A photographer’s paradise,’ one winemaker emailed me. I’m to join half a dozen win...
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Counteracting climate change

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The Hungarian sparkling revolution

Robert Smyth gets his mouth around Magyar mousse, which is fuelled to a large extent by Furmint and other indigenous grape varieties, and charts its recent progress. A version of this article first appeared in the Budapest Business Journal.  Almost wherever you go in the wine world these days, wineries are keen to be able to pull out a bottle of their own fizz, wherever it is climatically possibl...
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Gallery: Winemaker portraits by Patrick Eagar

Circle member Patrick Eagar has dug deep into his photography archive to share ten portraits of winemakers in France, Australia and Lebanon with us in a new Gallery on The Circular. Please respectfully note that all of these photos, and all the Circle of Wine Writer galleries, are not to be republished without the photographer’s permission. Any usage without permission is an infringement of c...
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New member: Toshio Ueno

Toshio Ueno is the creator of Sake School of America and English Shochu Adviser Certificate program, and only one in the world to hold Master of Sake (酒匠), Master Sake Sommelier (日本酒学講師), WSET Sake Educator diploma and WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits. Born in Japan where his family has grown Japanese wine grape, Koshu, for generations, Toshio grew up helping the business from a young age. Tosh...
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Delving into the different vinous chapters of Klein Constantia

Amanda Barnes takes a taste and read through Klein Constantia: The home of Vin de Constance. Books are always better when they’re enjoyed with wine — especially when they’re wine books. Even more so when you can drink the very wine described in the book — and so was my experience with the latest release from John Stimpfig’s First Press Editions’ Klein Constantia: The home of Vin de Constance. The...
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Rekindling the magic of Montes de Málaga 

Amaya Cervera catches up with Victoria Ordóñez, who’s breathing new life back into an old southern Spanish classic. A version of this article was first published on Spanish Wine Lover. It is hard to believe that much of the land of Montes de Málaga, a dramatic series of barren hills where farmers grow their crops on ravines and steep cliffs, lies within the boundaries of the vibrant city overlook...
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Awe-inspiring Amarone

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...
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