Challenging Behaviour

So far this week, I've tasted at least 100 wines a day. But I couldn't tell you what they are. Seriously. Each one is covered in a bag, you see. Then, together with a team of professional winos, I taste and score the wines based on quality. The best ones will emerge with an International Wine Challenge medal and we'll come back to those when the results come out. But in the meantime, here's what I've learnt so far this week.

1. Brangelina aside, rose wine is getting way more interesting. And paler. Hooray for pale & interesting.
2. Like Clooney, Semillon from Australia's Hunter Valley region definitely gets better with age.
3. The Nebbiolo grape, the one that's behind Italy's Barolo wines, is popping up everywhere.
4. Really good dry Riesling makes me want to do a little dance.
5. Really bad French red doesn't.
6. There are lots more wines from Brasil heading our way. Something to do with a World Cup.
7. Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria's wines are getting better every year.
8. Peru's got a way to go, though.
9. If I could, I'd drink a small glass of slightly chilled aged tawny port every single day.
10. After a full day's tasting, I'd rather have a cup of tea and an early night than paint the town red, white or rose nowadays.  

I'll be back with wine recommendations next week but in the meantime, here's a little film made by the kind people behind The Alan Titchmarsh Show. A little show(off) reel, as it were, of me talking about wine. Or sometimes just talking.


Peace out, winos x

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