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Translations / traductions: accurate translations from French into English on all aspects of wine from viticulture, technical, business to lifestyle... traductions fidèles du français en anglais sur tous les sujets viti-vinicoles: viticulture, technologie, business, mode de vie...
 

Wines of the moment
Updated regularly or occasionally as fits the mood, these everyday wines, new releases and sporadic superstars caught my attention for one reason or another. Not exactly a wine of the week or month but could be, hopefully more spontaneous than that. Click on the grooviest winter finds: 2008 Cono Sur Riesling.
Winery snapshots
A variety of flavoursome producers featured as and when they come my way. From Spain & Catalonia - Australia - New Zealand - South Africa - Provence - Austria - Gascony - Chile - Portugal - California - Lebanon - Bordeaux. Latest: Tariquet...
Languedoc snapshots
A logical progression to provide these visited and/or sampled estates with their very own five minutes of fame. Covers producers in Limoux - Minervois - Saint-Chinian - La Clape - Pays d'Oc - Pic St-Loup - Pézenas - Terrasses Larzac - Grés Montpellier - Cabardès - Malepère - Picpoul Pinet - St-Georges d'Orques - Faugères. Latest: Gérard Bertrand... others in the pipeline including a new Corbières & Fitou snapshots page featuring Pech-Latt, L'Anhel, Auzines, Etoile Matin, Lastours, Ollieux Romanis, Grand Moulin, Maylandie and more... Plus a few Minervois wineries following a recent trip (promises promises)...
Roussillon - French Catalonia snapshots
Personal guide to over 60 estates and co-ops across the region from Maury to Rivesaltes, Perpignan to Banyuls via Les Aspres. Including my favourites from Fenouillèdes wine show 2007, Millésime Bio 2008 and Vinisud 2008. Latest: Lafage, Vaquer, Coume Majou... and updates in a cinema near you soon on Treloar, Rouaud, Singla, Balmettes...
Wine press
Check out this page for a random selection of news and events from around the globe: Roussillon Dessert Trophy 2008 - Wine fairs, events and special offers Nov-Dec 2008: UK & France... For the latest stories from Decanter.com, peruse their news-feed (blue column, right).

Tasting features 2008
Long hours and fresh incentives are required to keep this site alive and up-to-date (subtle hint to potential sponsors: click there to view latest site stats and rates/sponsors éventuels cliquez ici). But remember: "These things take time..." as the poet Morrissey once sang. As well as eventually recreating all tastings from the old site, the following new features are in the pipeline (also browse further below and right-hand columns, 2005-2007 now up-to-date). In addition, highlights from this year's Millésime Bio organic wine show, held in Perpignan, are profiled (watch out for FBI serial killers) under Languedoc & Roussillon 'winery snaps' above. Vinisud Montpellier - err, ditto. Alimentaria Barcelona - spotted the pattern here? Check in to winery snaps above and Cava guide below.
NEW! Terrassenmosel: a slanty slated (as in stone rather than stoned) tour of mega-steep Winninger Uhlen and Bremmer Calmont vineyards, therefore tons of top Riesling tasting notes arriving as soon as poss...
Gérard Bertrand
"Comprehensive notes and comments on Mr. Languedoc's burgeoning portfolio: new organic wines, Chardy & Pinot Noir from Limoux; rare vertical tastings of Domaine Cigalus white 2001-2007, single vineyard reds La Forge Corbières and Le Viala Minervois La Livinière both 2000-2005; Château Hospitalet Grand Vin 'La Clape', on picking Cinsault and barbecued wild boar..." Click above for the full story.
New Wave Spanish wine awards
"This thought-provoking tasting, held in London in July 2008, was designed as a showcase for the top 100+ Spanish wines deemed award-worthy, which had already been selected from a considerably more marathon taste-off judged by a team of UK trade and press hardened palates. Although there were some great wines here - click on the title to see my pick - I have to say I was disappointed..."
Cava guide: creative Catalan bubbles
"...This mini-guide is more about bringing your attention to a few lesser-known sparkling gems I've enjoyed (in moderation of course)...and hopefully encourage you to explore beyond Barcelona and the region's nice beaches out into real Cava country... Isn't it about time that the better quality and more unusual Cavas, which you find everywhere in Catalunya, got more of a look-in...?" Click on the big Cava bottle above to read my complete rant plus fizzy reviews: stars of the show (90+ pointers) include Llopart, Lavernoya, Perelada, Bach, Blancher, Raimat, Andreu, Parató, Triada, Parxet, Mont d'Àrac.

Some previous stuff at a glance:
1907 winegrowers' revolt: the Roussillon 100 years on!
Chile: Viña Ventisquero & Pangea.
Northern Rhone: touring Crozes-Hermitage country or cut straight to Completely Crozes tasting A to Z.
Languedoc & Roussillon: top reds over €10.
Austria: Grüner Veltliner galore.
Spain: Rioja free zone!
Clare Valley Riesling report (or click on Hanlin Hill vineyard, right).
Organic: Alsace Riesling, Corsica and Tuscany.
Lots more tasting features: cruise the links on the right-hand columns (several still missing).
More wine words
'Straining at the leash': "The Roussillon's strict regulations are forcing producers to work outside the AOC. Who's in the right and is this new creativity paying off, asks Richard James..?"
The Roussillon, present and future: Master of Wine or master of methodology? A flawed mini-thesis...
Climate Change and Wine, Barcelona: “If average temperatures increase by over 2°C, we’re not sure what will happen..." (Dud dudder derr derr, Stingray Stingray...)
"Crozes-Hermitage literally stands in the imposing shadow of the Hermitage hillside vineyard, but do the wines lag far behind in its awesome wake?..."
'CRAV - 100 years of protest': “We’re at the point of no return. Be the worthy successors of the 1907 revolt, when some died to allow future generations to live off their land...”