Welcome
I am Andrew Williams, and I have established this company to meet the needs of wine drinkers seeking a more personal approach to wine tasting and drinking. I have been involved in the wine industry for over 25 years. During this time I have worked as a winemaker, grape grower, wine buyer, journalist, lecturer and consultant, and have built up tremendous contacts throughout the wine world. In a quarter of a century the wine industry has changed beyond recognition. That change has been largely for the better, but I do feel there are some worrying trends that have become apparent over the last few years. The industry has become increasingly centralised. Most of the high street wine specialists have disappeared, and wine has become the fiefdom of the supermarkets. In some ways supermarkets have done a splendid job. They have made wine more accessible and less forbidding to the uninitiated, but they impart little or no knowledge to their customers, and price has become the only guiding factor. This highlights another area that has regressed of late. Where does the new wine drinker go to find objective information about what to drink? The day of the wine magazine has passed.
The aim of this web-site is to create an interactive wine community. I will be posting wine articles on a variety of subjects and covering the wine regions that I visit throughout the year. I will also include shorter news stories covering events, stories or controversies that I think might be of interest to wine drinkers. I welcome your reaction to these stories, and am happy to respond to queries on any wine issues.
I am organising wine events around the country, ranging from one-off wine classes to structured wine courses, from Masterclasses to simple, fun tastings. To receive information on these events sign on to our mailing list. For further information go to Tastings
I will also be making wine offers. It is not my intention to set up as a conventional wine merchant. There will be no wine list, no glossy promotional material and no hype. Quite simply, if I discover a wine on my travels that I feel is of exceptional quality and represents good value for money I will make an offer on the site. All these offers will be of small volume wines of limited availability. They will be sold on a first come first served basis, and will be offered first to people on my mailing list, any remaining wine will be advertised on the web-site. To add your name to the mailing list go to Contact Me
On a recent trip to France I discovered that some forgotten French regions are turning to terroir to escape the price-fixated ghetto of supermarket wine shelves. To find out how Muscadet is reinventing itself, go to Features.
During my recent travels I have come across some stunning wines, at exceptionally good prices. Clients on my private mailing list will shortly be offered wines from classic European regions. To receive these offers, Contact me.
Happy New Year. I hope you all had a great Christmas, and weren't too badly affected by the snow.
The tasting circuit is back up and running. The highlight of last week was a day spent at a snow covered Lords, tasting a range of New Zealand wines. There were some wonderful wines on show and this has really whetted my appetite for my forthcoming trip to New Zealand.
My trips for the rest of the year are gradually falling into place. In addition to my February sojourn down under, I have a number of european trips planned. This year the bi-annual Ay Festival will be held. This is always a great event. All the champagne houses in Ay (including Bollinger) open their doors to the public. Details...
I have to confess that the trip that still excites me most is the tour of Washington and Oregon. Still a few places left if you'd care to join me.
Christmas Wine Offer
Christmas is approaching rapidly. I have put together a wine list to deliver something special for the festive season. There are wines to suit every palate and purse. Great party wines, serious food wines and, of course, fizz.
Go to Christmas Wine Offer
Features
Muscadet - new wave winemakers aiming to revive an old favourite..
Greek Odyssey - there is so much more to Greek Wine than Retsina....
New Zealand - a tour of one of the world's most exciting wine countries.....
Forthcoming tastings and Events
Food & Wine Pairing at The Glamorgan, Cherry Orchard Rd, E Croydon
Fantastic New World wine tours for 2010. Explore New Zealand, Washington and Oregon, and South Africa.
