23 to 25 March 2014 will see ProWein 2014 open its doors again in Düsseldorf. Some 4,700 exhibitors from 50 countries will be presenting wines and spirits from throughout the world. The comprehensive ranges on display will be complemented by an equally diverse programme of events. It all started 20 years ago, and today ProWein is billed […]

Any serious wine lover cannot afford to miss the best international wine trade fair in March. With over 4,500 exhibitors, ProWein 2013, International Trade Fair Wines and Spirits, will feature more companies than ever before. Two additional exhibition halls will be used in order to accommodate the 500 new exhibitors, giving the more than 40,000 […]

Greetings all, here some tips on buying wine. Do not always go for the most expensive wines to impress – if you are out to impress. I have learned this over several years. Yes, an expensive wine – coming from a well known brand – can be a sure thing. But what may be even […]

Be sure that the wine has not been opened for too long. Take time to notice at the bar how empty the bottle is, and how busy the restaurant. It could be that they have been opening many bottles in succession because it is busy. But beware of the recent white wine vintage, especially the […]

I met Aaron in Washington D.C. last month and he came to a couple of tastings I had organised: a Bouchard Père & Fils 2010 horizontal and a double vertical of Langoa and Léoville Barton. His blog pays special attention to the history, imagery, and tasting of wine. You can find many posts about the […]

What a special evening with wine lovers in Washington D.C. shortly after the New Year. It is not often that the wine of the night – if one must be chosen – is the bubbly at the start, but such was the case on 3 January. Many thanks to Chris Bublitz for bringing one of […]

Blind tastings can be a lot of fun because you are not sure of what to expect. They should never be interpreted as Sacred Truth. So much depends on (1) who is tasting, (2) when tasted, and with what, (3) aeration rates for some bottles that were not as favorable, (4) you get the picture […]

I love telling the story about a bunch of French wine tasting experts – including top sommeliers and editors at Le Revue du Vin de France and Le Figaro – who in a blind taste test in Paris in 1976, under the direction of Steven Spurrier, who at the time was a wine shop owner, […]

Albert Mann is one of the best domains in Alsace today. They make excellent  crémant wine, pure and dry Rieslings, rich Pinot Gris, zesty Gewürztraminers and among the very best possible Pinot Noirs from Alsace today. So I was not surprised that their entry level Riesling, Albert Mann Cuvée  Albert Riesling 2010, was being served […]

For the second year in a row, I hosted a neighborhood wine tasting in Arlington, Virginia, for family and friends. I was not sure about the theme until nearly the last minute, but a recent political attack advertisement from Newt Gingrich in the midst of the Republican presidential primaires – a Republican attack ad against candidate Mitt […]