I don’t know who decrees that such-and-such day will be malbec day, grenache day or even, who knows, doradillo day, but grape days are upon us with the regularity of saints’ days. Lest it escaped your notice, today is malbec day and the focus is largely on Argentinian reds, which is fair enough given that over two-thirds of the world’s production of malbec is from Argentina (and only about a fifth from France including Cahors).

Cahors - Once Upon a Time in the West

Chris Kissack, aka The Wine Doctor says:

I love Bordeaux, no smirking at the back, I really do. I love the wines and the intricacies of the region with its complex characters, its fascinating dynasties and, well, there’s no other wine quite like great Bordeaux.

The tasting of young Bordeaux barrel samples has for some time been one of the highlights of the year. No matter how blasé or jaded you feel, as soon as you hit the Route des Châteaux, that first frisson brings anticipation of the nubile new wine and memories of bottles long since emptied.

Doubts have been raised over the authenticity of a number of the wines in the Spectrum / Vanquish wine auction due to take place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel today. The main critique comes from the reliable source of Don Cornwell, about whom, Alder Yarrow says:

In the Côte Chalonnaise

The tastings in London in January were based on samples brought over from France by producers and wine merchants. As can happen, not all samples are always in pristine condition.

A few of the wines are already bottled, but most are still cask samples that remain to be bottled. In these cases there may be work still to be carried out. It’s not always possible to determine just how different they’ll taste once in bottle.

Of all the seminal experiences that turned me from lawyer to wine writer, one was a memorable lunch at The Tate Gallery’s Rex Whistler Restaurant ostensibly for a meeting with a local solicitor I was attempting to do business with.

My first memory was of a pristine white Burgundy so delicious that it lodged the thought in my head that there was more to life than attending court defending shoplifters and pursuing bad debts from recalcitrant Chinese restaurateurs.

Tate Britain

Last night’s Barcelona Supper Club was a consumer event with members of the public paying £40 for a chance to try their hand at carving jamón, preparing a Catalan dish and enjoying a so-called Fizzness cava ‘masterclass’. ‘It's designed to be an interactive culinary experience celebrating the best of Barcelona and Spain’, Sarah Belizaire-Butler, the account director, had told me before the event.

Why are we waiting?

I was asked to give a talk at yesterday’s forum on wine investment at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair. I felt a reality check might be in order given that the other 5 speakers were likely to be setting out their stalls, namely Simon Staples of Berry Bros., Robert Sleigh of Sotheby’s, James Miles of Live-ex, Peter Lunzer of the Peter Lunzer Wine Fund and Ella Lister, representing Octavian. Hence a focus on the pitfalls rather than the benefits of wine investment.

Introduction

Come gather round people...

Yalumba's Jane Ferrari prepares for her masterclass

We are amused by Jane Ferrari's presumption

Joanna Simon meets and greets

Walking the Walk with David Williams

A Tasting of Château Angélus in magnum 1985 - 2009 at Farr Vintners on Tuesday 25 October 2011