Learning about wine
The bubble according to the primal method: method ancestrale
No Champagne today, but another special sparkling wine in the spotlight. During my search for the unknown, I stumbled upon the French town of Gaillac, near Toulouse. Here, the bubbles aren't produced in the same way as in Champagne. A...
Wine and food pairing: Lasagne with chorizo, pear and blue cheese
I first tasted this lasagna in the South of France, at my parents' house, years ago. Just hearing the combination of ingredients made my teenage vegetarian hairs stand on end. And until a few years ago, I would have run...
Germany is a top white wine region. Everyone knows Riesling, of course. It's fun to see how Riesling is slowly winning over wine enthusiasts. The exact same thing happened to me. At first, you're not interested in it, because "those...
Whole bunch fermentation: the fermentation of whole bunches
Sometimes I really can't figure out how to translate an English term into Dutch. Whole bunch fermentation sounds good, whole cluster fermentation a little less so, right? It's certainly a popular technique among winemakers and wine enthusiasts. "Decanter even had...
The ten wines that stuck with me from 2019
2019 was the year I started working with wine full-time, became self-employed, taught nine wine courses, collaborated with Hanna Leentvaart to rebrand Le Club, launched De Fanshop, started a podcast with Sommeljj, and tasted a ton of fantastic wines. Wines...
For an affordable and enjoyable Bordeaux, I highly recommend Château d'Angludet. It's the second estate of the Sichel family, who made their name with Château Palmer. Upon arrival we are warmly welcomed by Daisy Sichel, the niece of the current...
Now I know for sure: Jacquesson is my favorite
It's 11:00 a.m. and I'm at Wijncafé Lefebvre for a Jacquesson tasting led by importer Roel (owner of Ovino) and Bram (Lefebvre's sommelier). I was already enthusiastic about Jacquesson, but after this tasting, I know for sure: Jacquesson is my...
This year, the time had finally come: I'm off to Prowein! Europe's largest wine extravaganza, where every wine lover can be found. To give you an idea of the event's size: there are eighteen halls full of wine! Think of...
Quintarelli: The best Amarone of them all?
It's Wednesday evening and I'm going to taste ten wines from Giuseppe Quintarelli at Wijnhandel Peeters in Rotterdam. It's such a nice way to break up the week. Luckily, my WSET4 classmate Danielle is also with me, otherwise I would...
Affordable enjoyment: bring on that Bourgogne Côte d'Or!
Burgundy is pure enjoyment. Unfortunately, that enjoyment isn't cheap. If you want to savor a good bottle, you'll quickly pay a premium. Especially if you prefer villages with an established reputation and a legendary name, like Morey-Saint-Denis or Puligny-Montrachet. Not...
A look inside Le Pin in Pomerol
The moment you thought would never come. I'm standing on the doorstep of Le Pin, a tiny but very well respected A winery in Pomerol. All sorts of things are racing through my mind, and one image just won't go away. About...
Vignoble du reveur, or dreamer's vineyard. It couldn't have been called anything else if the Deiss family were behind it. In this case, it's Mathieu Deiss, grandson of Marcel Deiss – the enfant terrible of Alsace. Mathieu isn't doing it...