http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/ JournalLive for North East news. Read the latest from The Journal newspaper covering Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland all areas across the Northeast. en-gb JournalLive http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/07/18/capturing-the-pure-spanish-spirit-61634-21360532/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/07/18/capturing-the-pure-spanish-spirit-61634-21360532/ AS heir to his family winery in Rioja in north-central Spain, it seemed natural that when Victorino Eguren was sent to do his military service in the nearby town of Vitoria, he should sell wine to his comrades in arms. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/07/11/taste-the-difference-of-these-beautiful-wines-61634-21322180/ Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/07/11/taste-the-difference-of-these-beautiful-wines-61634-21322180/ WHEN I met Eric Saurel at France’s national organic wine fair in January, I was so impressed that I resolved to visit his vineyard before the year was out. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/27/the-wight-stuff-61634-21158826/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/27/the-wight-stuff-61634-21158826/ ROD Thompson moved to the Isle of Wight in 1990 and bought a beautiful farmhouse at Wellow in West Wight with 15 acres of land, five of which faced due south. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/20/organic-wine-making-moves-on-to-a-new-level-61634-21109041/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/20/organic-wine-making-moves-on-to-a-new-level-61634-21109041/ WITH almost 6% of its vineyard converted to organic production Alsace can claim to be the greenest wine region of France. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/13/stuart-s-great-organic-venture-61634-21065836/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/13/stuart-s-great-organic-venture-61634-21065836/ WHAT chance of success has a fresh-faced Durham University philosophy graduate who decides to set up a wine business because he “can’t get a proper job”? http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/06/message-in-bottle-to-importers-61634-21031155/ Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/06/06/message-in-bottle-to-importers-61634-21031155/ SUE Wilson, former Journal nebusiness.co.uk columnist, emailed me recently asking for advice on behalf of a friend who has a vineyard in Priorat in northern Spain. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/30/the-best-bordeaux-don-t-fail-61634-20994439/ Thu, 29 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/30/the-best-bordeaux-don-t-fail-61634-20994439/ VERY ripe and rich, but also rather clumsy, chewy and chunky. My terse note doesn’t describe a £5.99 supermarket red, but a ‘great’ claret, a wine that retails, if you’re lucky enough to find it, well in excess of £100 per bottle. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/23/it-s-special-because-of-all-the-mystery-61634-20962634/ Thu, 22 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/23/it-s-special-because-of-all-the-mystery-61634-20962634/ IT is “magically coloured like a limpid strawberry lollipop … the haunting scents of violets and rose petals are captured, with that unmistakable whiff of cake you find in Cabernet-based rosés. It boasts a frivolous fresh fruitiness, teasing you to believe there might be a hint of sweetness. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/16/message-in-a-bottle-on-fairtrade-offerings-61634-20917632/ Thu, 15 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/16/message-in-a-bottle-on-fairtrade-offerings-61634-20917632/ JUST like handbags and sunglasses, wine has its designer labels. Malcolm Gluck tells the story of a wine importer from Singapore, who having splashed out £5,000 for a bottle of Chateau Petrus, made sure that it was prominently displayed on his table, but then proceeded to ‘enhance’ his glass with Pepsi. He admitted, Malcolm relates, to not liking the taste of red wine. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/09/sicily-keeps-getting-better-61634-20882234/ Thu, 08 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/09/sicily-keeps-getting-better-61634-20882234/ SICILY produces a lot of wine, nearly as much as Portugal, but it’s largely nothing to write home about. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/02/france-s-best-kept-secret-61634-20850137/ Thu, 01 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/05/02/france-s-best-kept-secret-61634-20850137/ ONE of the world’s biggest vineyards spreads north from the broad estuary of the Gironde in the Charentes region of western France. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/25/the-marvellous-muscat-stands-true-test-of-time-61634-20816168/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/25/the-marvellous-muscat-stands-true-test-of-time-61634-20816168/ MUSCAT is one of the greatest grape varieties and certainly one of the most ancient. Its origins are probably Mediterranean, where it still thrives. It is almost certainly a variety known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as being as attractive to bees as to humans. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/18/have-we-found-the-holy-grail-of-wine-industry-61634-20781607/ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/18/have-we-found-the-holy-grail-of-wine-industry-61634-20781607/ PINOT Noir is the Holy Grail of the wine industry. The great black grape from Burgundy is so difficult to get right, but its best wines are incomparably delicious. Because good Pinot Noir is in short supply it can be expensive. It’s no surprise that this has driven grape growers the world over to see if they can come up with the goods. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/11/greeks-make-the-earth-move-61634-20750783/ Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:37:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/11/greeks-make-the-earth-move-61634-20750783/ I WAS ready to be impressed, but the earth really did move for me when I went to Greece a fortnight ago to visit vineyards in the western Peloponnese and the biennial national Greek wine fair – Oenorama – in Athens. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/04/cool-white-that-s-still-got-plenty-going-for-it-61634-20715837/ Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:29:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/04/04/cool-white-that-s-still-got-plenty-going-for-it-61634-20715837/ HAS Chardonnay had its place in the sun? Around the world, its stock has fallen so low that some wine lovers delight in asking for ABC – anything but Chardonnay. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/28/roll-out-the-barrel-oak-for-preference-61634-20684569/ Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/28/roll-out-the-barrel-oak-for-preference-61634-20684569/ TESCO’S Spring Wine Festival has just begun with massive reductions on around 120 wines. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/21/jasni-res-is-a-loire-unto-itself-61634-20654056/ Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/21/jasni-res-is-a-loire-unto-itself-61634-20654056/ THE biggest river in France is the Loire – La Loire. One of its many tributaries is, most confusingly, Le Loir. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/14/home-brewing-still-passes-test-61634-20619632/ Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:29:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/14/home-brewing-still-passes-test-61634-20619632/ THERE’S a little red book on my shelves. Published over a quarter of a century ago, First Steps in Winemaking by CJJ Berry is packed with sound advice. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/07/world-class-small-producers-61634-20570885/ Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:29:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/03/07/world-class-small-producers-61634-20570885/ THE range of wines offered by some local independent merchants is as big as anything you’ll find in the major supermarkets and often much more interesting, with a good selection of often hand-crafted wines from quirky producers that are available only in very limited quantities. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/02/29/german-wines-pass-taste-test-61634-20536800/ Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-taste/wine-reviews/helen-savage/2008/02/29/german-wines-pass-taste-test-61634-20536800/ GERMANY exports more wine to the UK than any other country, but it’s mostly the cheapest plonk that we can get our hands on.