Learning about wine
A wine fan in Epernay (and Champagne)
A few weeks ago, when I was sitting on a terrace in Bloemendaal, I got a call from @sommeljj. “Shall we go to Champagne?” I didn't need to be asked twice. Let's go! I mean: on y va! With a PCR test...
Valladolid, the city you've never heard of, yet it really should be on your bucket list. It's just a stone's throw from the vineyards of Rueda, Toro, and Ribera del Duero (and two lesser-known regions) and is a champion of...
A wine fan in Rome: La Fiaschetta, Il Goccetto and Verso Sera
Hey, are you coming along for my intro to Rome? Oh, of course! My former Hallmark colleague, Denise, texted me asking if she wants to come along on the staff trip. A year ago, I was still on the party...
A Wine Fan in London: Noble Rot, Nopi & BobBobRichard
The Noble Rot Bar, the wine bar from the eponymous magazine, had been high on my wish list for a while. I really wanted to go there. Luckily, my friend and wine enthusiast Hanneke agreed to come along. Once back...
A wine fan in Rheingau and Rheinhessen
At half past eight I get coffee at the Starbucks at The Hague Central Station and less than five hours later we are already in front of the first winery. “Just getting a few bottles of Sekt,” says Jérôme, the owner...
A wine lover in Rhône & Languedoc
In October, I went on a wine tour to the South of France. Over four days, we visited seven wineries in the Rhône and Languedoc regions, including La Pèira, Château de Beaucastel, Domaine de Trevallon, and Domaine d'Aupilhac. Below, I'll...
A wine lover at Ecorkhotel, Ecoresort in Alentejo – this is where you want to go!
Ecorkhotel in Alentejo . Waking up in a hotel made of cork among hundreds of thousands of cork trees – isn't that every wine lover's dream? I think yes. Ecorkhotel: Peace, cleanliness and regularity. Peace, cleanliness, and regularity. At the Ecorkhotel,...
A Wine Fan in Paris (2018): It's Chablis o'clock
Where everyone instantly in love Paris, it wasn't a piece of cake for me. I didn't understand those endearing words. A tough city, that's what I thought. The city of love? Paris, je t'aime? Nope. Okay, admittedly: I've never even walked hand...
The first restaurant on the left in Bolgheri
You might not have heard of Bolgheri before. Perhaps that's understandable, as you have to know the greats before you can truly appreciate this Super Tuscan. It belongs in the same league as Barolo, Burgundy, and Bordeaux (hey, could it...
A Wine Fan in Tuscany: Five-Day Road Trip
Tuscany ! After a week of relaxing at Camping Viora with Hanneke and Alexander, I'm traveling solo to Tuscany. My adventure begins at Stazione Porta Nuova in Turin. From there, I'll take the high-speed train to Florence. Going here has...
A wine fan in Lisbon: 24 hours!
24 hours in Lisbon – what are we going to do? Last Thursday, I arrived at Lisbon airport around three o'clock, where Chantal was already waiting for me. We jumped in a taxi to the city center. We quickly dropped...
This year's annual friends' outing took us to Edinburgh, Scotland. Where last year we were still enjoying vinho verdes in the Alentejo (Portugal), we sipped whisky this year! Traditionally, the tour guides had kept the destination a secret until the very last...