The wonderful old Grenache vines of Oz

Liz Sagues gets in a wonderful webinar with Yalumba, as she is catapulted off virtually, with wine in her glass, to the Barossa Valley. This is a much-expanded development of an article that originally appeared in the Ham & High series of newspapers in north and northwest London. This article was inspired by one of the many fascinating webinars that have so much increased wine communicators' ...
Read More

Finding a way through phylloxera

Michelle Williams discovers how Yarra Valley growers are actually embracing the challenge posed by the dreaded vine root-devouring louse as an opportunity to prepare for another epic cultivation challenge – climate change, as well as using other innovative methods to temper the tiny aphid’s terrible threat. “Phylloxera is having a significant impact in the Yarra Valley,” laments Sandra de Pury o...
Read More

Bükk buckles down

Ádám Berkecz Lillafüred Palace
Robert Smyth finally frees the shackles of lockdown on his first post-Covid wine trip, and finds winemaking momentum building in the mountains around Miskolc, in north-eastern Hungary. A version of this article earlier appeared in the Budapest Business Journal. It was a welcome change to return to Hungarian wine country in June, to witness a barely-known cum less prestigious wine region take stri...
Read More

Promise amongst the peaks and the pumice

Old vines sur échalas in Boudes ©WL
Continuing on from her introductory article in August’s Circular on the Côtes d’Auvergne region in the Puy de Dôme department, within the volcanic part of France’s Massif Central, Wink Lorch visits producers big and small, and finds plenty of potential in the region that has altitude and ash to its advantage. With only about 400 hectares (ha), Côtes d’Auvergne inspired me to think once again abou...
Read More

What can I still afford to drink?

wine corks
To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

Let’s talk about self-publishing

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

An eruption of Gamay in Côtes d’Auvergne

In the first of two articles, Wink Lorch leaves the French Alps and veers into volcanic mountain territory to explore the Côtes d’Auvergne, a wine region that has risen from the ashes, and is joined by fellow CWW member and Loire expert Jim Budd. The second instalment is due to appear in September’s edition of The Circular. Having been lucky enough to spend lockdown high up in my French Alpine ho...
Read More

Building community to preserve children’s hope

To access this post, you must purchase Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Corporate Friend of the Circle (inc one-off joining fee), Friend of the Circle (renewals) or Corporate Friend of the Circle (renewals), or log in.
Read More

When cider is wine

Alistair Morrell explores the many parallels between cider/perry and wine, which he feels in its purest form should certainly not be bracketed together with beer. Nevertheless, the process of keeving keeps its unique. Alistair’s presentation to the Circle on the subject can be found on YouTube. When the Cider Is Wine trade alliance was launched at the end of 2018, it raised eyebrows with some bec...
Read More