Latest On The Circular
New Member: Sara Underdown
Posted on by Amanda Barnes
Sara Underdown is a wine writer, educator and presenter specialising in champagne. In 2018 she founded VINE & BUBBLE, an online champagne publication, luxury events and travel company located in Australia.
Sara is a Dame Chevalier of L’Ordre des Côteaux de Champagne and has been recognised through the prestigious Vin de Champagne Awards, the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards...
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From the Chair: Texture is the new flavour
Posted on by Meg Maker
Meg Maker explores the second sense in wine — texture.
For a few days last week, a rhinovirus gripped my system. My normally prismatic sensorium went dark. Flavours were reduced to the basics: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, savory. My morning tea was hot, astringent, wet but curiously drying. A segment of orange was cold and juicy, sweet and sour. Cheese seemed sticky, fatty, salty. Bread was spong...
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Perusing a Prosecco pearl
Posted on by Dijana Grgić
Dijana Grgić takes off to the bubbling core of the Veneto, to Valdobbiadene, and savours the spumantes from Villa Sandi and prized other members of its porfolio.
Over the past couple of decades, Prosecco, which is produced primarily in Veneto as well as in smaller areas of the Friuli region, has seen a surge in global popularity. For a sparkling wine to be labeled as Prosecco, it must be made w...
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Something for the holidays
Posted on by Ellen Wallace
It’s that time of the year again, when after the mad rush, you are hopefully able to finally settle down to a number of days of relative calm. Your thoughts start to turn to wine and which bottles of your stock to sip during the holiday season. Ellen Wallace provides a touching personal reflection, but one that’s relatable to all, of a wine that not only celebrates the memory of a loved one, share...
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From the Chair: Critical thinking skills
Posted on by Meg Maker
Meg Maker defends the right to drink and enjoy cheap fizz, even as an esteemed wine writer, in her column this month.
I’ve just returned from London, where I used the excuse of the Circle’s annual Festive Party to justify a week of ogling art, meandering markets, visiting old haunts, and eating and drinking across a wet and windy city.
My spouse and I had the good fortune to have a friend’s fla...
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Sardinia sparkles
Posted on by Nicole Wolbers
Nicole Wolbers discovers how the magical Mediterranean island, which is renowned for its centuries-old wine tradition, is preparing for a bubbly future.
Sardinia's winemaking history is impressively ancient, dating back to the Nuragic civilization around 1500 BC. Furthermore, recent archaeological findings suggest that Sardinia may be the oldest known wine-producing region in Europe. The Bronze A...
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New Member: Christy Frank
Posted on by Amanda Barnes
Based on New York, Christy Frank is a freelance writer and a leader of the independent wine retail scene. With 25 years’ experience in the wine and spirits industry, she has held positions in all tiers of the US wine trade from large, global drinks firms such as Moët Hennessy USA, to small, boutique distributors to on- and off-trade retail.
Her freelance writing focuses on the commercial aspect...
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The Circle’s festive party goes out with a bang!
Posted on by Robin Goldsmith
Robin Goldsmith rounds up the fabulously jovial Circle of Wine Writers Festive Party 2024.
'Twas a cold evening outside, but the warmth positively radiated inside urban winery, London Cru, on the 9th December. This was the venue for the eagerly anticipated Circle of Wine Writers Festive Party. Attended by an international jamboree of joyous journalists and specially invited wine trade guests, a...
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New Member: Michele Padberg
Posted on by Amanda Barnes
Michele Padberg is a freelance writer, international wine judge, advanced sommelier, and member of the Association of Wine Educators.
With over 23 years of experience in the wine industry, she was part of the editorial board and a contributor on the e-book The New Normal in the Wine World, and has published work in the USA as well as Europe.
She crafts insightful lectures and hosts elite V...
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New Member: Diana Thompson
Posted on by Amanda Barnes
Diana Thompson is based in Edinburgh and writes the wine column for The Sunday Post – Scotland’s most read Sunday paper as well as other local publications including Spotlight Magazine. She contributes to various digital food and drink online platforms such as Tom’s Food!
With over 30 years’ experience in the wine industry Diana has worked with various international companies and now runs Wine Ev...
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