Sweet #dessertwine from Germany: 1998 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Huxelrebe Beerenauslese. Producer: Winzerkeller Leiningerland EG, D-67262 Grünstadt. Vintage: 1998. Appearance very pale amber colour, medium and receding on glass with esters, pear drops aromatics. The attack is lighter than expected and very fruity. Evolution: Pear drops, peaches, apricots, light caramel with a finish which is pear drops and acid drops on swallow, very ripe peaches in nose. Sweetness: 3.5. Acidity: 2.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is very soft and silky and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's nicely balanced between light-ish sweetness and acidity. The wine has a waxed cork closure and is 8% abv. Overall, this wine is: Lovely, although it was a little overpowered by Christmas putting. Would be better as a summer dessert wine with something lighter. It's not over-complex, but has beautiful fruit and candy flavours. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 84 points.

Sparkling White #Champagne #wine from France: 2000 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Champagne Millésime 2000. Producer: Jacques Beaufort. Vintage: 2000. Purchased from ambonnay. Appearance pale-ish with lots of small, quite fast-moving bubbles with toasty aromatics. The attack is light and drier than i remember. Evolution: Very nice, with crispness which doesn't show the wine's age and that nice champagne yeastiness with a finish which is prickly. Sweetness: 0.5 with a texture which is petillant! As for balance, it's nicely balanced. The wine is 12% abv. Overall, this wine is: This is very nice and went well with smoked salmon, sausage rolls and smoked duck with croissants after church on Christmas morning. Can't quite give it a 90 as it wasn't quite interesting enough, but was, nonetheless, very nice. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 89 points.

Red #Kent #wine from England: 2005 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Pinot Noir. Producer: English Wines Group plc, Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden, TN30 7NG. Vintage: 2005. Purchased from lamberhurst vineyard. Appearance quite pale, quite clear with dry earth aromatics. The attack is harsh and sharp. Evolution: Dry earth, red beries with a finish which is harsh initially but it mellowed. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: . Tannin:  with a texture which is  and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's a bit too coarse. The wine has a cork closure and is 11.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: Initially it was very average, but as it warmed to the glass it improved. Not worth the money though. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 81 points.

White #Bourgogne #wine from France: 2002 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Puligny-Montrachet. Producer: Maison Chanson Père & Fils. Vintage: 2002. Appearance sedimenty, lovely pale gold colour, thick & slowly receding on glass with chardonnay, candy cigarettes, peaches aromatics. The attack is amazingly soft & a little fruity. Evolution: Nice, a bitterness on the edges of the tongue, peaches, apricots yet clear chardonnay bitterness with a finish which is soft in nose, very structured on swallow. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which is silky and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's full-bodied enough to balance the bitterness. The wine has a  closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this wine is: Not as smooth as I remember yet clearly a very nice wine. My score is 90 points.

White #Pouilly-Fumé #wine, 2006 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Pouilly-Fume. Producer: Bouche, Chatellier SCEA, Saint-Andelain, 58150, Pouilly-sur-Loire. Vintage: 2006. Appearance pale yellow sauvignon blanc colour, thin yet smooth on the glass with grassy, quite intense and austere aromatics. The attack is green apples, hay. Evolution: Very Sauvignon Blanc. Quite concentrated flavour which fills the mouth with that nice eastern Loire bitterness with a finish which is peppery in the nose, quite bitter on the swallow. Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 2.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is thick and quite syrupy and the length is a little patchy. As for balance, if anything, this is a little too bitter, but still drinkable and interesting. It went quite well with sushi. The wine has a cork closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine is nice and has aged well. It’s lost its freshness, but this has been replaced with a nice richness which was interesting and unusual in this wine. My score is 83 points.

Fortified mead from #PasdeCalais #France: NV : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Lucas. Producer: LUCAS Didier, 93 Rue de Cassell, 59940 Neuf-Berquin. Vintage: NV. Purchased from “vineyard”. Appearance of pale amber. The attack is very dense and heavy yet with a creamy texture. Evolution: Quickly becoming fresh and fruity with an aftertaste of dried cranberries with a finish which is dried exotic fruits on swallow and in nose. Sweetness: 3. Acidity: 3. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is very thick & syrupy and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's very nice, the smell is nothing like the taste and the denseness is beautifully balanced by fresh fruit. The wine has a synthetic closure and is 18% abv. Overall, this wine is delicious! Definitely one to buy again!. My score is 90 points.

White peach #wine from a kit: 2011 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Peach Wine. Producer: Me, from a Young's kit! Vintage: 2011.

Appearance crystal clear chardonnay yellow with soft and fruity with touches of peaches aromatics. The attack is fruity and quite rich. Evolution: A touch of yeast and an oaky sauvignon blanc flavour with a finish which is peaches in nose, oaky wine on swallow. Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 1.5. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which is velvety water and the length is quite good and varied. As for balance, it's nicely balanced and not too strong so quite easy to drink yet with enough acidity to make it interesting. The wine has a cork closure and is of unknown strength. Overall, this wine is nice for the price, this probably worked out around 2 pounds per bottle. Will definitely try more wine kits in the future!. My score is 79 points.

White #Kent #wine from England: 2010 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Chardonnay. Producer: Meopham Valley Vineyard. Vintage: 2010. Purchased from vineyard. Appearance medium and slightly receding on glass, this is very very pale for a chardonnay – almost water-like with like a chablis aromatics. The attack is crisp and concentrated. Evolution: Incredibly juicy and minerally, this tastes like a Chablis Grand Cru with a finish which is green apples in the nose, crisp minerality on the swallow. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 4.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is buffered water and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's a little sharper than i'd expect from a chardonnay but actually beautifully crisp and acidic to cut through a fatty meal. The wine has a screwcap closure and is 12% abv. Overall, this wine is: Very nice and nothing like I expected. Some advice would be to just soften this a little, but generally it's tasty!. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 84 points.

Red #Côtes du Rhône #wine from France: 2010 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Domaine Jean-Charles Aubert. Producer: Robert Brunel, 84550 Mornas. Vintage: 2010. Purchased from Carrefour. Appearance beetroot purple, thick and viscous on the glass with blackberries, black cherries, forest floor aromatics. The attack is quite soft yet with good extraction, and a slight sweetness. Evolution: Very dry, tannic, forest fruits and tree bark with a finish which is blackcurrants in the nose, very tannic and woody on the swallow. Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 5 with a texture which is very rough. The length is excellent. As for balance, this is hugely tannic and would have nicely lived another 10 years if I'd given it a chance, yet the body balances it and it's very drinkable. The wine has a cork closure and is 13.5% abv. Overall, this wine went beautifully with 4-hour-stewed lamb & Guinness pie with cheesy scone topping (recipe on request!). My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 85 points.

White #Kent #wine from England: 2011 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Apple Wine. Producer: Neil Shorney. Vintage: 2011.

Appearance pale amber colour, thick and viscous on the glass with very little in the nose, a touch of very light fruit aromatics. The attack is initially soft then with more structure and good acidity.

Evolution: Honey, lemons, apples, star fruit with a finish which is light lemon freshness on swallow and in nose.

Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3. Tannin: 1 with a texture which is thick rough water and the length is very good and varied.

As for balance, it's nicely balanced, very good acidity. The wine has a cork closure and is 11% abv.

Overall, this wine is: Nice! Nothing like a drop of home-brew, and at least I’ve managed to ferment out to dry for a change. I will enjoying tasting this as it develops. Feels like cheating using a carton of juice, and it’s a real lazy wine, but a solid performer!. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 83 points.

Beautiful #2005 Siglos #wine with Tyrolean gulasch and @Riverford warm beetroot & orange salad http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Just cooked a rather nice (if I do say so myself) Tyrolean goulash with a little too much paprika (as if there's any such thing). Anyway, recipe on request - it really was the richest, much fabulous goulash I think I've ever had, and really quite easy too cook. Had it with home-made spaetzle, which was also delcious, and warm beetroot and orange salad (thanks Riverford!) and the wine was one of those perfect matches for food - they say drink local wines with local foods and this really was fabulous. Reply to this post if you'd like the recipe for some fabulous Austrian food :-)

2011 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Wine name: Beaujolais Nouveau.
Producer: Les vins Georges Dubœuf, 71570 Romanèche-Thorins.
Vintage: 2011.
Purchased from John Lewis food hall.

Appearance bright purple, not red at all! Quite dark with artificial purple on the edges. Thick and viscous on the glass with fresh spices aromatics. The attack is quite light and dry with soft flavours of red fruits. Evolution: A little sharper as it develops with notes of redcurrants with a finish which is strawberries in nose, redcurrants on the swallow. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3. Tannin: 3 with a texture which is smooth & silky. The length is very subtle but lingers quite a long time. As for balance, it's nicely balanced for a Beaujolais Nouveau. The wine has a synthetic closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine is actually really nice, and has improved my impression of B-N and one of the best in recently years – smooth, nicely drinkable with beautiful crisp redcurrant flavours. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 85 points.

Delicious red #LacrymaChristi #wine from Italy: 2006 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Lacryma Christi.
Producer: Poggio delle Boccanti Azienda Agricola La Mura Sas di R. & G. S. Antonio Abate NA.
Vintage: 2006.

Appearance deep browny dirty red, very smooth on the glass with an interesting (for a red) undertone of honey. Also cherries, blackcurrants and carbon aromatics.

The attack is very juicy, really mouth-watering from the start and with loads of chewitts-type fruitiness.

Evolution: Loads of cherries, red fruits, and concentrated apple juice with a finish which is a finish of Norfolk Punch (does that still exist?!) and cherries.

Sweetness: 1. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which is buffered soft water and the length is excellent.

As for balance, it's beautiful – it's quite high acidity but this is offset really nicely by fruit and a touch of sweetness. The wine has a cork closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this wine is excellent, I really like this wine – you can almost taste the volcano ash in the bottle!. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 94 points.

White #Alsace #wine from France: NV #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

A nice wine and nice and soft, although for Alsace it lacked backbone. However, it was very drinkable and actually very nice, so I mustn't complain!

Red #Languedoc-Roussillon #wine from France: 2008 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Font des Prieurs. Producer: Alliance Terroirs, Famille Bonfils, 34290 Servian. Vintage: 2008. Purchased from Carrefour. Appearance deep purple, thick and viscous on the glass with redcurrants, blackcurrants aromatics. The attack is firm and very juicy. Evolution: Rich and deep, quite rustic with a finish which is redcurrant juice in the nose, blackcurrant on the swallow. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 4 with a texture which is rough and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's quite acidic but not badly balanced. The wine has a cork closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this wine is: A nice southern French rustic wine which went very well with Comte cheese. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 82 points.

White #Kent #organic #wine from England: 2008 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Rhubarb Wine
Producer: Meeeeeeeeeeee!
Vintage: 2008
Home made. Appearance not “gris” at all as planned, but a nice deep chardonnay yellow, quite thin and receding on the glass with dry and quite fresh green rhubarb, as if it's just been picked, with notes of bramley apples on the nose. The attack is quite intense and understated concentrated lightly sweetened rhubarb. Evolution: Bramleys, rhubarb, honeysuckle flowers with a finish which is stewed rhubarb in the nose with crisp apples and rhubarb on the swallow.

Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is surprisingly soft and silky and the length is excellent coverage of the tongue and a lovely lingering finish. As for balance, it's nicely balanced with a sense of new world extraction yet with old world poise and elegance. The wine has a cork closure and is of unknown strength! Overall, this wine is aging really well and has nicely mellowed and matured into something refined and still fresh. Definitely one to make again! My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 85 points.

White #Kent #wine from England: 2010 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Pinot Gris. Producer: Meopham Valley Vineyard. Vintage: 2010. Purchased from vineyard. Appearance very pale, thin and receding on glass with bramley apples aromatics. The attack is very dry apple skin flavours. Evolution: Unripe apples with a finish which is apples!. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is buffered water and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's a little over-acidic but with reasonable body. The wine has a screwcap closure and is 12% abv. Overall, this wine is: Quite nice, a little too dry. Nicer than an Italian Pinot Griggio, not as nice as Alsace Pinot Gris. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 79 points.

Red #Bordeaux #wine from France: 2001 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Canon Fronsac. Producer: J. Bussier, 33126 St-Michel-De-Fronsac, Gironde. Vintage: 2001. Appearance surprisingly red and only looking a little aged with rich and firm blackcurrant scent with a touch of wood and forest floor aromatics. The attack is a touch of watery juice and quite low-acid. Evolution: Blackcurrants and red blackberries, crisp acidity and no sign of age with a finish which is watery blackberry juice on the swallow, red fruits in the nose. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 2.5. Tannin: 1 with a texture which is sandpaper and the length is very varied over the tongue and nice lingering redcurrant and blackcurrant flavours. As for balance, it's a little watery and lacking in body. The wine has a cork closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: This is nice but was overpowered by my corned beef hash. It's very light for a Bordeaux and has that slight watery quality, but this doesn't detract from it: it gives it a certain elegance. I am particularly struck by its youthfulness. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 83 points.

White #Alsace #wine from France: 2004 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Trimbach Riesling
Producer: F.E. Trimbach, Ribeauville, Alsace
Vintage: 2004
Purchased from local wine merchant
Appearance is slightly greenish yellow, receding yet medium and quite syrupy-looking on the glass, like glycerine with candy cigarettes and that sort of intense tropical fruitiness you get on an older Riesling in the nose. The attack is very fruity, a little off-dry and a depth of juiciness.

Evolution: Deep spicy white grapes and really chubby body, this is very unlike a lot of Rieslings in that it's god very fat body with a finish which is spice in the nose, concentrated bramleys on the swallow.

Sweetness: 1. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is slightly oily water and the length is excellent and lingering.

As for balance, it's very new world in its style, but the slight over-extraction is balanced by good acidity. The wine has a cork closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine is nice and interesting, although not immediately drinkable due to its intensity. It's not the style you usually find for an Alsace Riesling but this is nice and interesting and stood up well to Duchy Originals organic paté. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 81 points.

White #Venezia #wine from Italy: 2009 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Santa Lucia
Producer: not stated on bottle!
Vintage: 2009

Appearance: crystal clear Chardonnay yellow with delicately-scented with summer flowers. The attack is light-ish but with plenty of Pinot richness.

Evolution: Flowers, a touch of honey, dry mud and clay, bitter melon with a finish which is apples on swallow, flowers and honey in nose.

Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 2. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which is very rich and syrupy and the length is a little patchy.

As for balance, it's nicely balanced between body and acidity. The wine has a screwcap closure and is 12% abv. Overall, this wine went very nicely with dinner, and was a nice wine. Quite juicy and mouth-watering, with good body and nice, interesting flavours. Very nice for a Pinot Griggio!. My score is 84 points.

White #Trimbach #Gewurztraminer from France: 2009 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Trimbach Gewurztraminer.
Producer: F.E. Trimbach, Ribeauville, Alsace.
Vintage: 2009.

Appearance: Acacia honey yellow, crystal clear, medium and receding on the glass and actually, it smells like an Austrian Gewurztraminer I once had. It has slightly aged spice and none of the “artificial candy” smell I normally associate with this type of wine. The attack is very smooth and creamy with some good acidity coming through.

Evolution: It's here that the Gewurztraminer flavours begin to come through, although it's still a little understated. There are pear drops, dry spices reminiscent of a tagine, and a touch of water. This wine is drier than I expected with a finish which is pepper and a touch of tropical fruit in the nose, and a dry oloroso sherry on the swallow with a late hint of black pepper.

Sweetness: 1. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is smooth like honey and very varied flavours along the length of the tongue. As for balance, I'm not one for over-extraction on wines, but i can't help feeling this could have a little more body. It's just a little light for what I was expecting. Having said that, it's got great finesse and is very refined and smooth. Is it worth the £15-a-bottle price? probably not. The wine has a cork closure and is 14% abv.

 I love Alsace wines and was expecting something a little more full-bodied and crisp for that sort of money. The smoothness is beautiful, but it's just lacking somewhere. It's definitely a nice wine, but a touch over-priced when compared with some other Alsace wines which are cheaper and organically grown, which I'm a great believer in. My score is 84 points.

White #Rheingau #wine from Germany: 2005 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Abtei St. Hildegard.

Producer: Abtei St Hildegard.

Vintage: 2005. Purchased from Rüdesheim.

Appearance: pale yellow, smooth and medium on the glass, crystal clear with quite a light Riesling, with a small of fresh green apples aromatics. The attack is crisp yet quite full-on for an old-world white.

Evolution: Nice and dry, filling the mouth with flavours of green apples, green apple peel, a touch of star fruit and a really good structure with a finish which is star fruit in the swallow, slightly spicy in the nose with cracked pepper.

Sweetness: 0.5
Acidity: 3
Tannin: 0

...with a texture which is hard water and the length is excellent and varied across the tongue with a long lingering finish of English autumn harvest. As for balance, it's lovely balance, this wine has a firm crisp backbone which is balanced by a nice helping of fruit, without being over-powering. It has finesse. The wine has a cork closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this wine is very nice. I always like Abtei St Hildegard's wines, and this one is nicely mature at 6 years old. Good structure, nice subtle and less-subtle flavours and a thoroughly nice bunch of people who sell it in their shop in Rüdesheim-am-Rhein. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 91 points.

A little piece about #organic #french #wine http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

I love France and I love French wine. My wife and I have spent a lot of holidays and weekends away driving through the French countryside and visiting vineyards. France is also great for organic wine - they produce a lot of it, and much of this wine is very good, if not excellent. The thing that lets France down, though, is the 3 most famous regions: Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy. In practically all the other wine regions of France, the very best winemakers and vineyards operate organically or biodynamically. Some of the biggest names in provincial France fly the flag for organic agriculture. Vineyards like Huet and Papin-Chevalier in the Loire, Cazes Freres in Languedoc, Zind-Humbrecht or Domaine Gresser in Alsace - these are the best winemakers of their regions, and they manage to make first class wines completely organically and, with the possible exception of Zind-Humbrecht, at a reasonable price.

Where France lets itself down, is the big regions charging the serious money for their wines. Very few of the first growth Bordeaux make their wine organically, and certainly the big champagne houses don't. For these people it seems to be much more about profit and mass-production rather than care for the environment or pride in their own agriculture.

Next time you're wine shopping, why not search out organic wine and do your bit for the environment, your health, and your taste buds!

Red #Bordeaux #wine from France: 2009 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Chàteau Moulin de Riba. Producer: J.-J. Garbay, Saint-Germain d'Esteuil (Gironde). Vintage: 2009. Purchased from Carrefour. Appearance dark purpley red, slow and viscous on the glass with earthy Bordeaux, a touch of black cherry, blackcurrant aromatics. The attack is hard and juicy. Evolution: Blackcurrants, forest floor, pretty acidic, cassis with a finish which is sharp on the swallow, blackcurrants in the nose. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 4 with a texture which is sandpaper and the length is excellent, quite long finish. As for balance, it's over-acidic and too young. The wine has a cork closure and is 13.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: Good body but way too much acidity. Perhaps this could have done with another 3-4 years in the bottle. It was quite nice with venison stew, but on its own it's hard to drink. My score is 78 points.

White #Valle Central #wine from Chile: 2009 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Las Estrellas Chardonnay. Producer: V.E.S.A.. Vintage: 2009. Appearance pale yellow Chardonnay colour with a little oak, fresh English apples aromatics. The attack is soft yet quite full-on and juicy. Evolution: The oak really comes through but doesn't ruin the wine. It's clearly New World, and the extraction is a little intense for my taste with a finish which is apples in nose, lemon oil on swallow. Sweetness: 1.5. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is thick water and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's a little over-acidic, but nicely rich to balance. The wine has a screw cap closure and is 13.5% abv. Overall, this wine is quite nice for a New World Chardonnay, but not a patch on a nice white Burgundy. Went quite well with left-over roast pork. My score is 80 points.

Fortified #Kent orange #wine from England: 2009 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Orange Wine. Producer: Me! (home made). Vintage: 2009. Appearance slightly orangey, crystal clear, slow and viscous on the glass with orange zest and gin aromatics. The attack is a little sweet, a little orangey, a little like gin. That'll be because there's a load of gin in it! Evolution: Very dry orange juice and orange zest with a finish which is quite “green” and unfortunately a little yeasty. Sweetness: 1.5. Acidity: 3. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is thick yet quite hard and the length is excellent tongue coverage, with a little hint of yeast. As for balance, it's a little drier than I expected. The wine has a cork closure and is approximately 24% abv. Overall, this wine is: Not bad, but perhaps a little young. The yeast flavour needs (hopefully) to go, and as a dessert wine it's very dry. Interesting, though, and I'll look forward to drinking it over the coming years!. My score is 78 points.

#California #Zinfandel #Shiraz 2003 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Signature Series Zinfandel Shiraz.

Producer: Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, California.

Vintage: 2003.

Purchased from village wines, Bexley.

Appearance dark purple, thick and viscous on the glass with black cherries, and loads of them! The attack is smooth & silky, with good strength. Evolution: An unexpected sharpness, warmth and spiciness, with black cherry skins with a finish which is warm black cherries in nose, sharp and acidic (in a good way) on swallow. Sweetness: 1. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which is thick water and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's a little over-acidic, but nicely rich to balance. The wine has a synthetic closure and is 15% abv. Overall, this wine went really well with a greasy steak, orange-glazed carrots and fried potatoes, a little sharp on its own, but very nice nonetheless. One to buy again! My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 87 points. www.ironstonevineyards.com

Sweet #Rheingau #wine from Germany: 2008 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Auslese. Producer: Weinhaus Markus Störzel, Marktstraße 28, D-65385, Rüdesheim/Rhein. Vintage: 2008. Purchased from a Weinstub. Appearance quite pale pastille yellow, thin and receding on glass with sweetish riesling, quite grassy, soft, candy cigarettes aromatics. The attack is soft, sweet-ish, tropical fruits on the tip of the tongue and tastes weaker than it is. Evolution: Bananas, pineapple, loads of honey with a finish which is honey in nose, fruit juice on swallow. Sweetness: 2.5. Acidity: 2.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is thick and velvety and the length is excellent and very varied. As for balance, it's a tiny bit flabby for a riesling – it could do with a little more acidity, but it's very pleasant. The wine has a screwcap closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this is a nice wine. Would have benefited from a cork and a few more years' bottle age. It's very tasty and drinkable, but not overly complex. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 81 points.

Red #Côtes du Rhône #wine from France: 2005 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Château de Beaulieu. Producer: Caves Saint-Pierre Négotiant, Eleveur à Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Vse). Vintage: 2005. Purchased from Laithwaite's. Appearance is deep purple, slightly opaque yet not cloudy, very thick and viscous on the glass with a smell including deep, earthy notes, blackcurrant skins, a touch of decomposing autumn leaves. The attack is firm and full, with a sharp acidity which makes the mouth water instantly. Evolution: Very high acidity, but through this come flavours of earth, young leather, blackcurrants, dried blackberries and strawberries with a finish which is warming blackcurrant in the nose, dry juiciness on the swallow. Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 2 with a texture which is tannins are a little harsh and the mouthfeel is thinner than the appearance on the glass would suggest and the length is a little patchy. As for balance, it's over-acidic yet just about balanced by fruit. The wine has a cork closure and is 14% abv. Overall, this wine is nice, although the last bottle I had was better. It's a little harsh, particularly as this is now 6 years old. Went quite nicely with buffalo burgers, veg and salad. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 79 points.

White #Kent #wine from England: 2009 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: 2009 Dry. Producer: Sandhurst Vineyards, Hoads Farm, Sandhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 5PA. Vintage: 2009. Purchased from vineyard. Appearance very pale, almost water-like, slow and viscous on the glass with notes of esters, lychees and Taboo (remember that?!) in the nose. The attack is concentrated, very fruity, sweet-ish, with immediate flavours of soft tropical fruits. Evolution: Drier as the mouth gets used to it with a slightly flinty minerally quality with a finish which is lychees in the nose, minerals on the swallow. Sweetness: 1.5. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 0.5 with a texture which has a touch of secondary fermentation, but in a way this slightly dissipates the sweetness. The mouth-feel is like slightly rough apple juice and the length is a little patchy on the tongue and slightly numbing. As for balance, it's a little acidic, but this balances out its New World concentrated sweetness. The wine has a cork closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine did not go well with fishcake and curried vegetables, it was completely overpowered. However, it's now very enjoyable afterwards and would go nicely with something like a honeydew melon – I imaging the flavours would complement each other nicely. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 81 points.

FABULOUS sweet #LakeErie North Shore #icewine from #Canada: 2006 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Magnotta Vidal Icewine. Producer: Magnotta, 271 Chrislea Road, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, L4L 8N6. Vintage: 2006. Appearance: Perfect amber-golden colour, thick and very slow on the glass with honey, oranges, ripe apricot aromatics. The attack is an immediate zing which I initially took to be secondary fermentation, but in fact offsets the sweetness very nicely. Orangy. Evolution: Peach juice! Loads of it, the really thick kind. It's really nice and tastes nothing like wine at all! The orange has gone, but there's a nice gentle bite of acidity and it really fills the mouth. On the edge of the tongue there's caramely fudge. The effervescence makes it feel as if there's a slight asprin taste, but it's gone before you can find it with a finish which is peaches in the nose, fudge on the swallow. Sweetness: 5. Acidity: 2. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is the is the smoothest wine I've ever tasted – the texture is like drinking runny double cream, and the effervescence sparkles seductively all over the tongue like it's inviting you to bed. The length is excellent and very varied between oranges, peaches and fudge. As for balance, it's this would be over-sweet were it not for the sparkle. The wine is 9.1% abv. Overall, this wine is: Wow! This is up there with the best of them! Absolutely sublime, and I'm afraid it knocks the spots off any German Eiswein I've so far tasted, although in a slightly superficial, North American way. Very nice, not overpowered by sticky toffee pudding with creamy toffee sauce at all. This is a serious wine, yet one with a sense of fun about it too. Thanks, Mum & Dad! When are you off to Canada again?! Just the sweetness makes this absolutely outstanding! Res Sugar 36/23 brix. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 98 points. www.magnotta.com

White #Mosel #wine from Germany: 1994 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Ellerer Calmont Spätlese from Willi Steffens, Weinbau-Weinversand, D-56814 Eller, Mosel. The appearance: a tinge of brown, quite yellow-green and young-looking though and soft yet with a backbone, sweetish riesling aromatics. The attack is firm yet slightly sweet. Evolution: Juicy mouthfeel, just beginning to taste old, but not much and has aged much better than expected, although this is also sweeter than expected. Peach fur-y skins, esters, pear drops with a finish which is peaches in nose, pear drops on swallow. Sweetness: 2.25. Acidity: 2.5. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is slightly thick, slightly rough water and the length is very good. As for balance, it's beautiful, fabulous, medium-sweet yet with good acidity and backbone. Overall, this wine is a really, really good wine. easy-drinking yet serious, crystal clear, mucky label but no sediment. Soft yet hard, went well with cheese (real sage derby from derby). My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 95 points.

Natum Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Agriverde S.R.L Villa Caldari, Ortona, 2009: http://frenchwineguide.blogspot.com

Very deep beetroot colour, thick and viscous on the glass. Lighter than it looks and quite fruity. Soft and juicy, quite warming with notes of candy cigarettes, Ribena and pepper. Nice, juicy and went well with arabiata. 85/100

In defence of Old World wines http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd #frenchwine

In London I've never had much problem, but during a recent holiday in the North Wales outback, I found it almost impossible to buy French wine. Little shops and local supermarkets' wine shelves were stocked with plenty from the USA, Australia, South Africa and Chile, but nothing from the Old World at all, save the occasional bottle of Piat d'Or (which doesn't really count). Not that there's anything wrong with New World wines, except some more food miles, perhaps. It's just they're all so... well... New World. You know - a bit chewy, great with a Beef  & Guinness pie, but not all that subtle or delicate. Yet New World wines are so easy, aren't they? They have the grape name written on the bottle! If you know you like Shiraz, you can pick up a bottle of Shiraz.

But European wines are, in my opinion at least, so much nicer - more refined, more delicate, a wider range of flavours on the palate. They're just misunderstood. If you know you like Shiraz, you'd be a little lost on the French wine shelf in your off-licence, unless you knew that the French name for it was Syrah (in which case you'd find some Vins de Pays, usually lower-end wines), or, for high-quality wines, you'd need to know that Shiraz (or Syrah) is the grape used in Hermitage wines. On most grades of French wine (except in Alsace, where the rules are different), the law prohibits stating the grape name, so to find the grape you want, you need to know a lot about the French wine regions in order to be successful in your quest.

Except that Old World wines aren't like that. The grape is secondary to the region. You shouldn't be hunting for a grape, but you should be looking for the style and nuances of wines from a particular region. We've all heard of Bordeaux and most of us know what to expect in the glass. However, Bordeaux wines are a blend and different winemakers use slightly different blends, within the rules. So you're getting at least 2, up to 4 different grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot) in the blend depending on the producer and the vintage. This doesn't stop it tasting like Bordeaux, although it gives far greater variety to discover. Even in Alsace, where most wines are varietals and grape names are written on the bottle, tastes like... well... Alsace! Open a Riesling or a Muscat or a Pinot Gris (Griggio) and although you'll get the differences in grape flavours, they all have the unmistakable taste of minerals and flint which taste of Alsace. An Alsace Pinot Gris is completely different to an Italian Pinot Griggio, despite coming from the same grape.

So, next time you're buying some wine, put aside your grape varieties and try a region instead, from France, Germany, Spain, Italy - whichever takes your fancy. You'll find it a whole lot more interesting!