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Category Archives: Wine Education


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Choosing the next NYN Wine Co Vinho Verde Blend

Alex and Manuel cofounders of The Not Yet Named Wine Co hosted an event recently which asl always put subscriber participation at the heart of their next bonus Vinho Verde wine release.

The very first wine that NYNW made was an Alvarinho from Vinho Verde made at Quinta de Soalheiro. Now they are making a bonus Vinho Verde with VineVinu which is Manuel’s family winery.

A bit of background on the region before revealing how the evening went.

Situated in the northwest of Portugal, the Vinho Verde region is renowned for its fresh, aromatic wines. Its location between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and mountain ranges to the east creates a moderate maritime climate, ideal for grape growing. The Atlantic’s cooling influence brings humidity and gentle breezes, while the mountains provide shelter from harsher inland weather. The region is further shaped by its river valleys, including the Minho, Lima, and Dour, which connect the coast to the interior, creating diverse microclimates and promoting balanced grape ripening.

Vinho Verde is best known for its white wine blends, crafted from native grape varieties that thrive in the region’s cool, damp conditions. The main grapes include:

  • Loureiro – Floral and fragrant, with aromas of citrus blossom and green apple.
  • Alvarinho ( same as Alborino grown in Rias Biaxas just to the north) – Known for its structure and elegance, offering notes of peach, citrus, and minerality.
  • Pederna (also called Arinto) – Crisp and zesty, contributing bright acidity and citrus flavors.
  • Avesso – Richer and fuller-bodied, with stone fruit notes and a creamy texture.
  • Trajadura – Delicate and fresh, adding subtle orchard fruit flavors and softness to blends.
  • Maria Gomes (known as Fernão Pires elsewhere) – Aromatic and fruity, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and subtle spice.

While most Vinho Verde wines are blends, the Monção and Melgaço sub-region produces 100% Alvarinho wines.

On the evening we were presented with three blends. Each was based on Alvarinho and Loureiro with varying additions of Arinto and Maria Gomes.

We were not told what the blends were but served the wines blind to taste.  Everyone then voted for their favourite and runner up blend.

The winning blend was then announced based strictly on receiving the most votes and will go on sale in the summer!

A fun and interesting experience and I would definitely recommend subscribing to NYNW as its both fun and educational. 

Was it the best wine? Well lets just say it was obviously the crowd pleaser!


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If you like Pinot Noir try Beaujolais Crus

This is a piece of advice that I’ve often been given over the years but have normally been disappointed when taken until recently.

In our last blinders Stuart and I were convinced that a wine Adam had brought was a pinot noir. Not only that but one with concentrated fruit, spice, savoury notes, lifted aromatics and aging potential.  Too savoury probably to be a new world example and perhaps not concentrates enough to be Central Otago so quite possibly a very good village Burgundy.

Well it turned out to the a Morgon Beaujolais Cru!

Situated just south of Burgundy, the Beaujolais wine region is renowned for its Gamay-based wines, offering a range of styles from light and fruity to complex and age-worthy. The region’s climate is semi-continental, with warm summers and cool winters, creating ideal conditions for grape cultivation.

Beaujolais’ landscape is defined by rolling hills and diverse soils, which significantly influence wine quality. The northern part is home to the Beaujolais Crus, where vineyards are planted on granite and schist slopes, producing more structured and complex wines. Notable Crus include Moulin-à-Vent and Morgon, known for their aging potential and Burgundian finesse. In contrast, the southern part of the region is flatter, with more fertile clay-limestone soils. This area produces Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais-Villages wines, which are typically lighter and designed for early drinking.

Most Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, a technique that enhances the wine’s fruitiness and freshness. Whole grape clusters are placed in tanks, where fermentation begins inside the berries, resulting in wines with bright red fruit aromas, low tannins, and a lively, juicy character but often a slight bubble gum / banana taste.

In contrast, the winemaking approach in for the Crus employs more Burgundian techniques, including traditional fermentation, oak aging, and longer maceration periods. This produces wines with greater complexity, depth, and aging potential. Moulin-à-Vent offers firm tannins and spice, while Morgon is known for its fuller body and earthy character.

Climate change and investment are clearly having an impact on this regions ability to produce outstanding quality wines at compared to its northern neighbour very reasonable prices. For instance check out the Wine Society’s 150th Anniversary Moulin-à-Vent 2019.


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Not Yet Named Wine Co:  ‘I helped make that wine’

Last year I signed up to the Not Yet Named Wine Co. at the suggestion of one of our regular wine dinner guests (thanks Carrie)

The attraction was that Alex Brogan who runs the venture offers an ingenious way of involving wine lovers of all levels to become part of the winemaking process. Founded by Alex and Manuel two Plumpton College Viticulture and Oenology students seeking a way to fund their own wines, the project has evolved into a vibrant community of wine enthusiasts, united by a shared passion for creating something truly unique.

At its core, the concept is beautifully simple: members pay a monthly subscription to participate in crafting two wines per year, one from the northern hemisphere and one from the southern. In return, they receive six bottles twice annually. What makes it special, however, is the democratic decision-making process. At every key stage, whether selecting fermentation methods, maturation vessel or blending styles, members vote on how the wine should be made, guided by detailed, jargon-free educational emails outlining the pros and cons of each option. Normally these emails come with an added dash of humour or at the very least a pun or two.

For those seeking deeper engagement a WhatsApp group offers a space to debate decisions with fellow members. The company also organizes annual vineyard visits (northern hemisphere), where subscribers can taste their wine in barrel and participate in blending or acidity trials transforming the experience from theoretical to hands-on.

The current vintage is being produced in Slovenia and Alex and Ales Rodica from the winery hosting the vintage, brought over some barrel samples of the Malvazija that we’re making for us to taste. And that’s the great thing about this, you do feel as if you are a part of the wine making team even if Alex is doing all the work.


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Regenerative Viticulture: Farming for the Future

Regenerative Viticulture (RV) is quietly revolutionising how some of the world’s most thoughtful winegrowers approach their craft. It’s more philosophy than prescription, rooted in ecology and driven by a desire to transform vineyards into thriving self-sustaining ecosystems now and for generations to come.

At its heart, RV aims to restore soil health, improve resilience to climate extremes, reduce chemical inputs, sequester carbon, and nurture biodiversity. These are lofty ambitions, but for many growers, they’re fast becoming the only way forward.

Why Regenerative Viticulture?

The motivations behind RV vary. For some, it’s about producing better wine with less interference. Others are adapting to the escalating challenges of climate change; heatwaves, erratic rainfall, and soil erosion. Toby Buck of Te Mata is looking toward the horizon: “Our estate has to be sustainable for there to be a viable legacy.”

RV also speaks to the growing desire among wine drinkers for transparency, ecological integrity, and authenticity. In a world increasingly wary of greenwashing, it’s no surprise that many pioneers of organic and biodynamic win, like Tablas Creek and Felton Road, see RV as the next evolution.

But what makes RV different isn’t just the list of things it avoids. It’s the things its doing to build the growing environment back up.

The Methods

Rather than following a fixed set of rules, RV offers a toolbox of practices. Growers adapt methods to their particular environment, soils, and climate, to create resilient, biodiverse agro-ecosystems with healthier vines and deeper-rooted sustainability.

Soil First

Soil health is the cornerstone. Cover crops are sown between vine rows, preventing erosion, locking in moisture, and supporting underground networks of fungi and microbes. These relationships, vital to nutrient cycling and carbon storage, create a self-sustaining system beneath the vines.

Legumes fix nitrogen. Grasses manage vine vigour. Compost (including grape pomace, manure, and even biochar from prunings) replenishes nutrients and increases humus. This aids water retention and carbon sequestration. Johan Reyneke, whose South African vineyard was an early adopter, says humus levels have risen significantly thanks to high-density cattle grazing in the dormant season and careful composting.

Designing with Nature

Regenerative vineyards are often shaped at a landscape level. Incorporating trees and permanent wild habitat attracts predatory insects, supports biodiversity, and buffers weather extremes. Trees help cool vineyards during heatwaves and provide modest frost protection, but they must be carefully placed to avoid shading vines.

Water management, too, is critical. Techniques like keyline planting slow runoff and help retain moisture.

Integrating Animals

Animals, ducks, sheep, and cattle, are another key component. They manage weeds, fertilise the soil, and reduce the need for mechanical inputs. Reyneke uses ducks to tackle snails, and a herd of cattle in winter. Trellising systems can be adapted to allow grazing even during the growing season.

From Chemicals to Complexity

RV reduces reliance on synthetic inputs, especially pesticides and herbicides, which often damage beneficial biodiversity. Alternatives include organic-approved treatments and the cultivation of disease-resistant Piwi hybrids, which dramatically reduce the need spray against mildew. But organic practices like tilling can damage soil structure and release carbon, so many regenerative growers aim for minimal or no tillage, using mulches and interrow planting instead.

RV doesn’t pretend to be a silver bullet. Some growers still use herbicides, or till occasionally. But the emphasis is on long-term soil health, not short-term fixes.

The Costs and the Payoff

Transitioning to RV takes time, skill, and often money. Johan Reyneke openly speaks of the “school fees to pay”, yield drops during early experimentation, the need for new equipment, and a steep learning curve. Managing a vineyard as a living ecosystem means more complexity, more hands-on work, and more multidisciplinary knowledge.

Certification can also be costly and fragmented. Still, frameworks like Regenified offer tiered pathways that make entry more accessible.

On the other hand, RV can reduce dependence on costly external inputs like fertilisers and fuel, whose prices have soared in recent years. Tablas Creek believes improved soil health will extend vineyard lifespans beyond the usual 25-year cycle, reducing replanting costs and boosting profitability.

Yields may initially dip, but often recover, and some growers report even better quality grapes and more reliable harvests in extreme conditions. Extended ripening seasons, preserved acidity, and lower alcohol levels are just a few of the benefits Reyneke and others have observed.

Building a Business and a Legacy

Beyond the balance sheet, RV aligns with a growing desire to create purposeful, resilient wine businesses. Tablas Creek embraced ROC certification for its inclusion of social fairness. Felton Road is pushing towards net zero carbon. RV is simply one part of a larger mission.

In the end

Regenerative Viticulture won’t save the planet on its own. But as the wine world increasingly looks at lifecycle carbon footprints, packaging, distribution, winery energy, it’s clear RV is an important piece of a larger sustainability puzzle.

It offers something compelling: a way of farming that puts the ecosystem first, builds resilience, and returns power to the soil. It’s a way of producing authentic wines and perhaps these wines are just better too?  Give them a try and see what you think……….

This article is based upon my independent research project for the WSET diploma.


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Margaret River – well worth a visit.

Margaret River only produces 3% of Australia’s wine but produces a large proportion of its premium offerings.

Though a young wine region, Margaret River is recognised globally for its premium wines, particularly its elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, refined Chardonnay, and crisp white Bordeaux-style blends. Located in Western Australia, this remote yet picturesque region benefits from a unique climate and ancient soils, creating exceptional conditions for grape growing.

Margaret River’s wine story began in 1967, when Dr. Tom Cullity planted the first commercial vineyard at Vasse Felix, inspired by Harold Olmo, a University of California viticulture professor who identified the region’s potential for fine wine production. Soon after another medic Dr. Kevin Cullen and his wife founded Cullen Wines, further establishing the region’s credibility. By the 1970s, the area attracted the attention of Robert Mondavi, the legendary Napa Valley winemaker. His technical expertise and influence were pivotal in guiding Leeuwin Estate towards planting Chardonnay, which was still rare in Australia at the time. Under his mentorship, Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnay became one of the nation’s most celebrated wines, proving Margaret River’s potential on the world stage.

Situated at 34 degrees latitude, Margaret River’s climate should be warm to hot. However, it enjoys a cooler maritime influence due to the Cape Current, which hugs the Indian Ocean coastline surrounding the peninsula. This cooling current moderates the summer temperatures, preventing the vines from overheating and allowing for a long, gentle ripening season essential for producing wines with complexity and balance.

The region’s rainfall pattern is also significant. With high winter rainfall and dry, warm summers, Margaret River experiences a low disease pressure growing season, reducing the need for chemical intervention. The region’s red gravelly loam soils, formed over ancient granite and gneiss bedrock, are low in nutrients, naturally restricting vine vigour and promoting concentrated, high-quality fruit.

The absence of phylloxera allows Margaret River’s vineyards to have been propagated from selected heritage cuttings, preserving and enhancing the region’s clones.

Margaret River’s Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the region’s free-draining, gravelly soils. The extended ripening period ensures full tannin maturity, resulting in wines with dark fruit flavours, fine structure, and great aging potential.

Chardonnay, often made from the region’s signature Gingin clone, performs exceptionally well in the cool maritime climate. This clone produces small, loose bunches with berries of varying sizes, resulting in wines with concentrated citrus, stone fruit, and tropical flavours, complemented by vibrant acidity.

The region’s Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends, inspired by white Bordeaux, flourish in the cool conditions, offering zesty citrus, passionfruit, and herbaceous notes with crisp acidity and freshness.

There is also a vibrant wine and gastronomic culture driven by visitors from nearby affluent Perth and international tourists are also drawn by the amazing coastal landscape and ancient gum tree forests.


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Mt Brave, Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley

Tasted ahead of our Jackson Family Wines dinner at Bocco di Lupo in Soho this wine is from the Napa Valley in California, home of super premium ripe cabernets.

Napa Valley is nestled within the coastal range of mountains but is open to San Pablo Bay in the south. The slopes of Mount Veeder AVA face east and located to the south-west experiences both the cooling influences of the Bay and altitude. East facing slopes are also shielded from the sun in late afternoon at the hottest part of the day. This means it is day time temperatures on the mountain can be 10 – 15 degrees cooler than the valley floor.  These conditions tend to produce wines that are structured with firm tannins and retained freshness and the ability to age for a long time.

The wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon but with a splash of other Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  In fact JFW make a Mt Brave Mount Veeder Malbec too.

Deep crimson and ruby with lively viscous legs denoting the 14.5% ABV

Nose is superb: Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry liqueur, a lingering savoury meaty element with a bright red plum and cherry lift, followed by perfumed cedar, blackcurrant leaf, sandalwood, fresh vanilla pod, a hint of milk chocolate, a bit of pencil shavings, and lifted tones of violets encompassed by new oak. Stunningly elegant and evocatively haunting.

Palate: Fruit is all ripe but not overripe with a strong surge of acidity highlighting the red cherry and plum and a long finish tending to concentrated blackcurrant with a hint of savoury meatiness. Tannins are fine but very abundant and a bit grippy, with oak not feeling quite fully integrated yet. Warm finish denoting the ABV level. Super balance and elegance with an undercurrent of power supported by the structure. This will transform intime into a magnificent example of Napa elegance balanced with power.


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Zuccardi Serie A Malbec 2021

This wine comes from grapes selected from a range of vineyards in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Here vineyards are ranged on terraces in the Andes at altitudes of between 850 and 1500, with cold nights and warm days that lead to wines with fresh acidity.  The intense sunlight at these altitudes really concentrates flavours in the grape skins so that wines have the potential to display super ripe fruit but still retain great freshness and moderate levels of alcohol.

The wine is really dark purple colour with a blue glint across the surface.

Immediately on the nose; ripe black cherry and blue berry, some dried herbs and a touch of black pepper, smoke and coffee grounds.  The wine has spent some time in oak barriques unlike many of Familia Zuccardi’s wines which are matured in concrete eggs.

The wine is really dry with fresh acidity and lots of nice fine grained tannins the body is medium, the alcohol at 14% is well integrated and everything finely balanced. In the mouth it is at first a little closed but with some swirling begins to open up with those ripe but crunchy fruits, spices, black pepper, liquorice, tomato leaf and a touch of biltong dried meat. 

This is really quite elegant and has a long finish. Its quite tight but further complexity should develop with some more bottle age. A really good value wine which is widely available.

Look out for our planned Familia Zuccardi Wine Dinner early next year.


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Meerlust Rubicon 2017

From vineyards close to False Bay in Stellenbosch, South Africa. There is a noticeable cooling effect from breezes, in this part of the region, that push inland from the cold waters of the Bay really slowing the ripening season down and allowing concentrated and flavourful grapes to grow.

Founded in 1756 Meerlust Estate does call into question the use of the term ‘New World’ when comes to the wines of South Africa (see our review of Constancia which tells the story of how wine growing started in the country). On the other hand it is fair to say that the birth, or probably rebirth, of quality wine production only properly got under way after the fall of apartheid in 1994.

The idea of ‘crossing the Rubicon’, at which point there was no turning back for Julius Ceasar, inspired the name of the wine. Nico Myburgh, part of the founding family, created the wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, inspired by the use of blending in Bordeaux crossing the line and helping to establish the style in South Africa.

Indeed this wine is easy to mistake for a classic right back Bordeaux when tasted blind, there is something about the way that the growing conditions in Stellenbosch allow restrained and elegant wines to be made that whilst ripe retain notes of capsicum and black currant leaf characteristic of classic Claret.

This wine already shows some bricking on the garnet rim. The nose is expressive with ripe black currant, capsicum, black pepper, baked blackcurrant tart, smoke, toast and coffee grounds, signifying use of French Oak. It also has nice notes of earth and leather from the years in bottle.

In the mouth it is fresh, with ripe but firm tannin, the body is full but the alcohol well integrated. Elegant and well balanced with a very long tasty finish. This wine is widely available and great value for a wine showing enough maturity to drink now but with capacity to develop further.


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Vulcanico Falanghina 2022, Paternoster.

I must admit to not being very familiar with this grape variety until my Diploma studies and so I was happy to find this example in a wine shop at the airport in Verona to pick up and try.

The Campagnia region is better known for the Falanghina grape variety, grown on the slopes of Vesuvious near Naples. However this example is from Basilicata slightly further south which also has volcanic soils and a bit of elevation.  Falanghina is disease resistant and so was traditionally used to reliably produce everyday drinking wines but wine makers are increasingly producing more interesting wines from lower yielding plots.

The colour is rich lemon and with some coaxing there are floral notes of honeysuckle, some citrus, orchard fruit, a touch of nectarine and some dried herbs.  Its dry with a full body as you would expect from southern Italy but there a good amount of acidity keeping it fresh which is also a common characteristic of indigenous Italian white varieties. Finally there is pleasing note of olive brine on the finish that lingers pleasantly.  The wine is not overly complex but has great balance both structurally and between fruity and savoury flavours making it work well with food.


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Are wine makers leaning too heavily on SO₂?

Wine making is a process full of potential pitfalls: oxidation, microbial spoilage, unwanted fermentations to mention but a few. To manage these, winemakers have relied for centuries on sulphur dioxide (SO₂), a highly effective antioxidant and antimicrobial. But with modern tools and shifting consumer expectations, there’s a growing question: are winemakers leaning too heavily on SO₂?

SO₂ plays several roles in the winery. It protects white wines from oxidation, which causes browning, dulls fruity aromas, and leads to acetaldehyde development (that bruised-apple note). It also suppresses unwanted bacteria such as Acetobacter, which can turn wine to vinegar.  It also helps control fermentation by weakening wild yeasts or halting it altogether to retain sugar in sweet wines. In red wines, natural phenolics offer some antioxidant protection, but SO₂ is still used to preserve freshness and stability.

It’s important to understand that SO₂ exists in both bound and free forms in wine. Only the free, molecular form is active in preventing spoilage. However, as SO₂ reacts with other compounds suchs as sugars, anthocyanins and aldehydes, it becomes bound and inactive. This means it is gradually “used up” during the winemaking process and must be carefully monitored and topped up.

As a wine is made there are several key intervention points:

  • At harvest and transport, SO₂ (often as potassium metabisulfite) is added to prevent microbial activity and oxidation during the vulnerable period between picking and processing.
  • After crushing, the must is tested, and additional SO₂ may be added, particularly in white wines, which are very prone to oxidation before fermentation begins.
  • During fermentation, SO₂ levels are typically kept low to allow yeast to function, but it can be used to inhibit spontaneous fermentation or halt it early, especially in the case of sweet wines.
  • Post-fermentation, SO₂ helps to prevent malolactic fermentation (MLF) where it’s not desired and maintains wine stability during aging. Barrels may be sterilised with burning sulphur, and free SO₂ levels are monitored throughout maturation.
  • At bottling, a final SO₂ addition protects against oxidation and microbial spoilage during storage and transport.

All this is standard practice. But is it always necessary?

SO₂ is not without controversy. Although most wine contains far less SO₂ than permitted by law, health concerns remain. Some individual, particularly asthmatic, may react to sulphites, and although the connection to headaches is unproven, it persists in the public mind. Beyond health, the use of SO₂ has become a philosophical issue in the natural wine movement, where minimal intervention is the goal.

The good news is, modern winemaking offers alternatives and supports more precise SO₂ management. Improved hygiene, use of inert gases (like nitrogen or CO₂), careful oxygen control, and alternative antioxidants such as ascorbic acid can reduce reliance on sulphur. Similarly, fermentation can be controlled by lowering temperature, sterile filtration, and stabilising agents like sorbic acid, again reducing the need for heavy SO₂ additions.

Crucially, SO₂ additions should be based on analysis, not routine. Monitoring pH, oxygen levels, microbial activity, and the free amount of SO₂ at each stage allows winemakers to tailor additions to actual need, rather than defaulting to maximum thresholds.

The “safe” amount of SO₂ depends on wine style, stability targets, and customer expectations. For example, a fresh, aromatic white like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc requires more protection than an oxidative white Rioja, which is intentionally exposed to oxygen. Sweet wines and those with residual sugar, such as German Rieslings or Californian White Zinfandels, also require more SO₂ due to sugar’s reactivity and red wines less in general.

While it’s entirely possible to produce low or no-sulphur wines, these often show oxidative notes, haze, or instability that some consumers embrace and others reject. Conventional wine drinkers generally expect clarity, freshness, and shelf-stability and delivering that usually requires some level of SO₂.

Ultimately, SO₂ is not the enemy. It’s a critical tool, but not the only one. Good winemakers will find the right balance. Whatever style of wine is being made the science and the tools are available to reduce reliance on sulphur to a minimum whilst meeting the expectations of their customers.