Learning about wine
Dr Loosen and the Riesling Show
It's Friday evening and I'm ready for a Riesling masterclass from none other than Ernst Loosen – Erni to insiders – at Wijnhandel Peeters. Surprisingly, we start with Dr. Loosen, a Riesling specialist, with a Pinot Noir sparkling wine. It's...
6 podcast episodes you can't miss
For me, watching TV has actually fallen off the relaxation list. Occasionally, I watch a movie or a Netflix series, but lately I've hardly ever been in front of the TV. Instead, I listen to podcasts. I can do that...
Haut Les Mains: the favorites (part 1)
In mid-July, I drove to Burgundy for Haut Les Mains, a wine event I saw on Instagram that instantly gave me FOMO. It's where the crème de la crème of the Burgundian natural wine community gathers. It's like going to...
13x Dauvissat at Utregs Wijnhuis
On Sunday, August 4th, Le Club and WINESTABRAM jointly traveled to the charming town of Utrecht to taste the wines of one Vincent Dauvissat. Perhaps you've heard of this gentleman? He is among the absolute top of the Chablis region,...
The sommelier's favorite natural wine
Natural wine is a controversial topic. One of extremes, I've noticed. Some people think it's fantastic, others can't stand it. The fact that there's no official definition or quality mark for natural wine doesn't help matters, of course. In The...
Three days of Burgundy in seven wines
One moment you think you're going to Burgundy alone, the next you're in a different company every evening. Yes, people – wine connects. Isn't that wonderful? The reason I visited this epic wine region was because I absolutely had to...
Let's get straight to the point: “ Everything below $40 is shit! ” That was one of Katie Blakely, International Sales Director of RIDGE Vineyards,'s most important and, above all, very honest explanations when asked why wines from the United States...
People sometimes ask me where to begin with sherry. They're eager to learn how to drink it, so we need to facilitate that. The choice is enormous, and I can easily imagine it being overwhelming. Fortunately, there's now a new...
Three times white from Provence
Last month I spent a week in Normandy. Besides filling myself with cider, I couldn't resist cycling to the local wine shop. A clever idea, cycling, as it kept the purchases somewhat manageable. I noticed the wide selection of wines...
Third place at the Dutch National Blind Tasting Championships
Midway through 2023, I received a message asking if I wanted to participate in the Dutch Blind Tasting Championships. Team Extra Brut was looking for a new team member. "Yeah, great, but I'm feeling the pressure," I replied. They'd already...
Kodawari is Japanese for the uncompromising pursuit of perfection. It's about love, dedication, attention to detail, and an incredible perseverance. It could be a bus driver applying kodawari to his work, a writer, or, as in the book, a wasabi...
In episode 133, we answer a question from a student: which wines are benchmarks and demonstrate typical expressions of a style or grape variety? In other words: which wines should you taste for an exam? We chat about it for...