When Clicquot lost its Veuve

POSTED ON 27/08/2010

In New Zealand, it’s being called the Great Veuve Clicquot Robbery. It looked like a win-win situation for the centuries-old Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, and New Zealand’s National Business Review, when, in anticipation of NBR’s 40th birthday celebrations, the two companies joined forces to run a ‘Win Your Weight in Veuve Clicquot’ competition.

Win Your WeightWin Your Weight

Return to Croatia - Dalmatia, day 1

POSTED ON 24/08/2010

What better excuse for island hopping I thought last year than an in-depth look at plavac mali. In the absence of that opportunity, I did the tasting instead. This year, I managed to combine the two with a short visit to Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. I started off on the mainland and the island of Korćula (day 1), headed for the Pelješac peninsula (day 2) and finished off on the beautiful island of Hvar. So beautiful in fact that I stayed on for a few more days relaxation, an experience I thoroughly recommend.

A Vine Vacation

POSTED ON 17/08/2010

Until yesterday, Charmaine and I were on holiday in one of our favourite spots, the little village of Paziols which is in the Aude close to the border with the Pyrénées Orientales (or, just in Languedoc, close to the Roussillon border if that helps). With the slightly larger town of Tuchan at the head of the valley, and Paziols three kilometres away at its foot, it’s one of the prettiest little villages in the region, and bang in the heart of Fitou. It’s mostly red wine country here, a rugged land of rugby heroes and wild boar.

A Funny Thong Happened

POSTED ON 09/08/2010

THE TRUMAN SHOW, PART 2

Anyone who read my blogs on Croatian wine last year will know that Croatia is one of my favourite destinations of the moment. So much so that I returned this year to visit vineyards on the scenic Dalmatian coast. A report will follow, but there’s one aspect of Croatia that I find less than attractive and it’s called Croatia Airlines. Leaving aside for one moment the fact that ticket prices are so much higher than the budget airlines that there seems little point in flying with Croatia Airlines, customer services could do with a makeover.

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