Category Archives: Just having a drink

Wines of 2012

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Karl Laczko

Now that 2012 has passed, and before 2013 gets off to a working start, it’s a good time to look back on a year full of enjoyable wine experiences and where I was lucky enough to taste some superb wines … Continue reading →

Posted in In Vino Veritas, Just having a drink, Local Tastings, N.E. Retailers, NEWTS Tastings | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Wines of 2012

Airén in decline

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Karl Laczko

What is the most common grape variety in the world? Depending on how that question is interpreted one of the answers that should come your way is Airén, Spain’s most planted, but still obscure, grape. More accurately it is the … Continue reading →

Posted in In Vino Veritas, Just having a drink | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A wine decorking experiment

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Karl Laczko

Last night I opened up a bottle of Gigondas that I’d been hoarding since 2007, Les Terrasses des Flauzières 2004 by Domaine Le Mas des Flauzières, bought in a wine store in Nice on a business trip. Sadly as soon … Continue reading →

Posted in In Vino Veritas, Just having a drink | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A wine decorking experiment

A Chinese Toast

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Karl Laczko

The 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards dinner was held last Wednesday with the results of the top awards winners announced on the night. For the first time in its history a Chinese Wine took an International Trophy, the highest award … Continue reading →

Posted in In Vino Veritas, Just having a drink, Wine Regions | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Chinese Toast

Tempranillo Day, Hola!

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Karl Laczko

Today was the 1st International Tempranillo Day, organised by TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society), a North American Organisation dedicated to promoting this intrinsically Spanish grape in America and Internationally. To be fair, for reasons of impartiality, I should … Continue reading →

Posted in Just having a drink, Wine Producers, Wine Regions | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Tempranillo Day, Hola!

Tonight’s Tipple – An Izadi Duo

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Karl Laczko

Earlier in the year I got two bottles of wine made by Bodegas Izadi, a 2008 Rioja Blanco (white) and 2006 Rioja Crianza (red), from Dillies in Hexham. Bodegas Izadi is a relatively recent Spanish winery, founded in 1987 in … Continue reading →

Posted in Just having a drink, N.E. Retailers, Wine Producers | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Tonight’s Tipple – An Izadi Duo

Tonight’s Tipple – Aussie Riesling

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Karl Laczko

After a couple of disappointing whites recently a mid-week wine was called for that could be relied on to deliver, and Tim Adam’s 2006 Clare Valley Riesling proved up the the task. This wine was bought for £9.99 in May … Continue reading →

Posted in Just having a drink, Wine Producers | Tagged , | Comments Off on Tonight’s Tipple – Aussie Riesling

Taste’s Grey Zone

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Karl Laczko

There’s an old saying that “Bad luck always comes in threes” which I thought of as I drank the last of 3 bottles of wine at home recently, each of which had got me thinking about another saying, that “Life’s … Continue reading →

Posted in In Vino Veritas, Just having a drink | Tagged | Comments Off on Taste’s Grey Zone

Smiling Gods

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Karl Laczko

A red and a white are the usual sacrifices to the Gods of the weekend, and this time the Dieties of rest and relaxation were smiling down on me with both wines a notch above the usual tipples. White is … Continue reading →

Posted in Just having a drink | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Smiling Gods

Tonight’s Tipple – 2009 Beaujolais

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Karl Laczko

Beaujolais 2009 has been lauded as a great vintage for the region, exceptional even. I’m not a great Beaujolais drinker, typically getting through only 1 or 2 a year, but when a vintage is pronounced exceptional then I will always … Continue reading →

Posted in Just having a drink | Tagged , | Comments Off on Tonight’s Tipple – 2009 Beaujolais