Nigel Greening, proprietor of Felton Road vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand, vinous oracle, indefatigable gourmand and a true Wandering Palate gives a most fascinating account of ‘wandering’ in Burgundy. Read More >

Tod Dexter knows as much as anyone about this Peninsula and his 2011 releases were a triumph given the difficult vintage conditions that year. In 2012 the weather Gods were much kinder, indeed this looks to have been a very good vintage indeed. Read More >

Our man in Burgundy, Alex Gambal, a vigneron of the English tongue, shares with us his 2013 vintage report giving us a good insight of his toils and what we might expect in bottle. And while you’re there check out the Alex Gambal website www.alexgambal.com for a unique and fascinating story. Read More >

Continuing my account of Pinot Noir New Zealand Celebration 2013 held in Wellington in February and my travels around New Zealand’s vineyard regions. Admittedly I was on a patriotic high from this incredible four-day event but even more so, I felt a strong sense of absolution; that my visit to Bell Hill vineyard in Weka Pass, North Canterbury (South Island) was such an incredible experience it justified the whole trip. Read More >

Nicolas Olivry joined me for breakfast this morning. He thought we should try pairing chardonnay with fried eggs and pork sausages… as he refuses to accept “A meal without wine could only be breakfast…” And yes chardonnay does goes well with fried eggs and pork sausages, or specifically Monteverro Chardonny 09 www.monteverro.com Love your work Nico! Read More >

With two clicks on the PayPal, I just downloaded Tim Atkins 2011 Burgundy Special report for a ‘Brown beer token’, that’s £10, a ‘Darwin’ and that’s probably less than a bottle of Bourgogne Rouge. Read More >

Speaking at a corporate wine evening recently, themed on biodynamic wines and having just delivered a crash course on Wine Feng Shui, it was no surprise that one of the more wine-savvy people in audience asked the predictable question, “Do biodynamic wines taste better?” And in the same breath, “How do I taste the difference between a biodynamic wine and a normal wine?” Read More >

Dexter is the eponymous label of Tod and Debbie Dexter, based at Merricks North on the Mornington Peninsula. The vineyard was established in 1987. Now just over 7 hectares, it’s planted to Chardonnay and Pinot noir in roughly equal proportions. The vine age for the Chardonnay averages 20 years and the Pinot 15 years. Read More >

Someone in the White House clearly has good taste or has been reading the Wandering Palate, having served at the Obama-Cameron state banquet, the Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille 2009 with the first course of crisped halibut with potato crust served on a bed of braised baby kale (fresh from the White House garden) with shaved Brussels sprouts and micro-cabbage sprouts and Applewood smoked bacon. Read More >

Must-Have Wines of the Lunar Year USA – White Wine of the Year

Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay 2008 – Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California

At the risk of being repetitive, whenever I’m asked what is my favourite wine? The answer is invariably, “The one I haven’t tried yet” and discovery remains my main motivation in my enthusiasm for wine. Moreover, the adage ‘The more you know about wine, the more you realise how little you know’ is pertinent with my lack of knowledge on American wine. Read More >