amateur de vin: a lover of wine

As the title of this post may imply, I received the results of the MW exam back in September and things did not go as I would have liked....

Welcome to a new (semi) regular series, Read Between the Wines, in which I review a book and suggest a wine pairing (it is a tough job...

While most of the time I enjoy living alone (everything is exactly the way I want it, my home is lovely and to my taste, and if there's a...

Last month saw me travelling to Napa for the annual residential seminar. Some of you may remember my discussion of this last year, but to...

Welcome to a new (semi) regular series, Read Between the Wines, in which I review a book and suggest a wine pairing (it is a tough job...

I attended the Master of Wine Stage 1 residential seminar waaaaay back in early February -- already seems like a lifetime ago. This...

Early December saw me back in Napa for the first Master of Wine course days. The course days are two days of lectures, study tips, and...

Last week I received an email I’d been waiting for all summer – I was accepted to the Master of Wine study programme! Even now, after...

Tasting Today is a series of WSET-style tasting notes, based on their Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT). While the SAT can be used to...

This week we got in our first juice and grapes of the season. The first bit of harvest is always exciting, cementing the reality of the...

“In victory, you deserve Champagne. In defeat you need it.” ― Napoleon Bonaparte Well, I am pleased to report that today is a day of...

Food was my first love, and wine came much later, actually. I would be remiss to not include lots of food pictures and discussion here....

Tasting Today is a series of WSET-style tasting notes, based on their Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT). While the SAT can be used to...

Last month, I was back in the Napa Valley for the first time in over a year. It was surreal to be in a place that I know so well and yet...

Welcome to a new (semi) regular series, Read Between the Wines, in which I review a book and suggest a wine pairing (it is a tough job...

I'm currently sitting at my dining room table, relishing in the cool ac (long story there, but ultimately a happy ending), working my way...