Learning about wine
Which books and websites do I use for the WSET Diploma?
I'm often asked which books I use to prepare for WSET Diploma exams. Astute readers will know I've previously described a whole list of books and have a mild addiction, but okay – specifically for the WSET Diploma, it's a...
A wine lover in the Basque Country
The txakoli production area is located on the Basque coast, roughly between Bilbao and San Sebastián. At Walsjérôt, we have the txakoli of Zudugarai on tap. I was in Bilbao for a few days, so I wanted to take a look. Txa-what?...
A look inside Domaine Tempier in Bandol
Writing about Provence instantly fills me with nostalgia. Ten years ago, I lived here, in Aix-en-Provence, and drank a rosé that would change my life. I feel like I've shared this story a thousand times, but it's part of it....
I first came across Adrien Berlioz's wine at Juste, a very cozy wine shop in Middelburg – Of all places . The bottle stood out because of its wax capsule, and that's always a hit with me. A wax capsule, a...
Jacques Selosse, different from the rest
In 2020, during a trip to the Loire Valley, one bottle after another was opened during lunch at a winery (Domaine Guiberteau). The bottles were placed in a sock and served blind. One of the socks contained Jacques Selosse's rosé...
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...
The Road to Weinakademiker, Part 7 (Sparkling & Fortified Exam)
It's time for a new article in the series "The Road to Weinakademiker." My current score is that I've completed 5 of the 7 exams. That was almost one less, because I was this close to cancel the Fortified exam, but I'm...
It's coronavirus time and restaurants are still closed. Job, my employer, suggested: why don't you do an internship at Domaine Les Bottes Rouges in the Jura Mountains, France? "Okay, why not, sounds great!" I said. No sooner said than done....
Mats wants to become a Master of Wine (part 3)
Mats wants to become a Master of Wine. I'm a sociologist, and after graduating in the Netherlands, I immediately moved to Switzerland to work successively at a winery, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and now a wine importer. Since September, I've embarked on...
Are you familiar with the abbreviation SSP? I'd never heard of it either until recently, when I came across it in the book "The Sommelier's Atlas to Taste." SSP stands for Sommelier Sangiovese Problem. It turns out it's a thing....
Tokaj, the liquid gold from Hungary
When you think of wine, Hungary might not immediately spring to mind. Yet, the country has been producing wine for centuries, with Tokaji being the most famous. Louis XIV – you know, the French king who lived in Versailles –...
The natural wines of Elisabetta Foradori
The fruit already greets me as I pour a glass of Teroldego with the Coravin. Terol—who? Teroldego, a native grape variety from northern Italy—from Trentino, to be precise—that was almost extinct. Fortunately, Elisabetta Foradori put a stop to that. “...