A group of us convened at Bacco on Monday 10th February, to delve into the contentious world of Parker Points. I have to claim an interest – I suggested this as a topic as I had tended towards the ‘blame Parker for climate change’ school – blaming him for the increasing popularity of big wines…(Read More)
In April I ran a Bordeaux Left Bank fine wine tasting with dinner at Le Salon Privé in St Margarets. It was a great opportunity to explore just how different the wines are from different AOCs within the Médoc region. The famous 1855 classification ‘set in stone’ a five level hierarchy of the best…(Read More)
Our Giro d’Italia masterclass on 19th March was a celebration of top class Italian wines as we toured from the most north eastern tip, close to the Slovenian border, all the way down to Sicily. Italy is a never ending source of wine exploration and exhibits the most extraordinary diversity of grape and style…(Read More)
This blog is being written by Fliss, Tim’s wife. I’m currently studying for the Diploma in Wine, and my first written paper is on Fortified Wines, so it’s lucky for me (if not for readers of Tim’s blog) that I can put some of my learning to practice. My thanks to…(Read More)
Welcome to 2019, which will be a great year for wine lovers in Richmond, Twickenham and Teddington! The tastings for Richmond and Teddington Wine Societies have been scheduled on the website, do take a look, and save the dates, and you can book your place now for our January tastings, where we focus on Tuscany…(Read More)
Last night we enjoyed a Marlborough Masterclass at Bacco. Kevin Judd was the winemaker at Cloudy Bay throughout its ascent to fame, and has since set up Greywacke, and our mission was to compare, contrast and potentially choose between the wines of these two estates. After a glass of Pelorus (Cloudy Bay’s fizz) we…(Read More)
Bacco was packed out for our March masterclass as we focussed on the superb red wines of Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret. Situated in the hallowed village of Vosne-Romanée just to the north of Nuits St Georges, the estate dates back to the 1920’s when the two families merged their vineyards but the Mongeard…(Read More)
We are updating the website and Facebook page with all of the events we are running at Richmond, Teddington and St Margarets this year and it is a fabulous line up of topics. We will celebrate the Old World, the New World and the Newest of the New World – our Richmond tasting in April…(Read More)
Over February, March and April we have completed our Bordeaux trilogy: the Left Bank comprising the Medoc, Margaux, Pauillac and similar famous communes; the Right bank – Saint Emilion & Pomerol; and Graves which also incorporated Sauternes. It is impossible to do justice to Bordeaux in one sitting, so the opportunity to focus on specific…(Read More)
A fascinating Champagne Masterclass unfurled at Bacco last night as we explored Champagne through the eyes of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. With all the hype and marketing bling that the big names of Champagne bring to bear, the existence of the Echelle des Crus – a system that gives a % rating to…(Read More)
awaits us in tonight’s Masterclass at Bacco. The big Champagne houses have done a great job of brand building, but brands require consistency, achieved by blending from many areas and vintages. Few people realise there are wines of wonderful quality and great value, made with great artistry and heritage by smaller producers. We will…(Read More)
Last Monday we met at Bacco for an extraordinarily diverse evening of mature Australian wines. With vintages going back to 1996, this was an incredible opportunity to witness at first hand how top class Australian Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon develop. It is rare to find wines from Australia this old and…(Read More)
An absolutely fabulous masterclass was enjoyed at Bacco last night. In fact it was two masterclasses in one! We welcomed Guillemette de Couesnongle who presented a fabulous tasting of Loire wines from Langlois Chateau, a top class estate owned by Bollinger. We tasted a comprehensive selection ranging from some outstanding Cremant de Loire through some…(Read More)
Terrific evening at Bacco in Richmond last night, as we explored the wonderful diversity of Barolo and other wines from around Piedmont. Many people had not heard of white grapes Favorita, Timorasso and Arneis, and these proved to be absolute revelations, and a refreshing alternative to the oceans of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio out…(Read More)
