Catherine Fielden

Catherine Fielden
3 Sep 2021
132
views

Cortes de Cima: The Portuguese wines that started life outside the law

The quote “To live outside the law, you must be honest” resonated so much with the founders of the Cortes de Cima winery in the Alentejo region of Portugal that they decided to print it on the labels of the first wine they produced. This is because when Hans and Carrie Jorgensen began producing wine from Syrah grapes, the variety was not ...

Catherine Fielden
12 Aug 2021
146
views

The Garage Wine Company: Bringing a Breath of Fresh Air to the Chilean Wine Scene

There has been much discussion in wine circles in recent years about authenticity and sustainability in winemaking. As these values are becoming increasingly important to wine drinkers, many producers are quick to claim that their wines are ‘authentic’ and/or ‘sustainable’ but sadly this is often just lip service. However, the ...

Catherine Fielden
6 Aug 2021
334
views

The Wines of Eastern Europe: A Voyage of Discovery

When you think of wine producing countries in Europe, Romania, Macedonia, Slovenia and Croatia don’t necessarily spring to mind. However, some of the nations that were once at the heart of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War are now producing a dizzying array of great value, top quality wines which are steadily gaining recognition on the ...

Catherine Fielden
16 Jul 2021
326
views

Everything’s Coming Up Rosé: Our Top Ten Best-Selling Pinks this Summer

Ranging from the palest pastel pink through to a light cherry red tone, there are probably as many varying shades of rosé wine produced as there are colours on a Farrow & Ball paint colour chart – with a whole spectrum of different flavour profiles! And while there is a lot of choice available depending on whether you prefer a chic, delicate ...

Catherine Fielden
25 May 2021
68
views

The heavy cost of severe spring frosts

As we edge towards summer, it is all too easy to forget that much of Northern Europe suffered devastating spring frosts only a matter of weeks ago. A lack of cloud cover over many of Europe’s vineyards on several consecutive nights in early April allowed Jack Frost to wreak havoc on vines, freezing and killing a significant amount of young ...

Catherine Fielden
20 May 2021
92
views

The Judgement of Paris: The contest that put California on the wine map

45 years ago – on 24 May 1976 – wine history was made. A high-powered panel of nine French wine experts took their seats at a blind wine tasting in Paris where some of France’s finest wines, from the hallowed cellars of Bordeaux and Burgundy, were pitted against relatively unknown Californian offerings. What followed has since become ...

Catherine Fielden
8 Apr 2021
53
views

Hello Darkness, my Old Friend…

There are some occasions when only a deep, dark brooding wine will suffice. And one of the darkest (almost inky-black) wines is made from the thick-skinned Tannat grape. Its thick skins mean that the resulting wines can have very high tannin levels. So high that, in the grape’s Southern French birthplace of Madiran, they use the ...

Catherine Fielden
22 Mar 2021
462
views

How to open a bottle of fizz with finesse

Is there anything more satisfying than the pop of a Champagne cork to signal that your favourite fizz is about to be served? However, cracking open a bottle of sparkling wine can be a dangerous affair. This is because built up pressure can force the cork out of bottle at a speed of almost 25 miles per hour! Be honest: Have ...

Catherine Fielden
5 Mar 2021
100
views

Celebrate International Women’s Day by Raising a Glass to Wine’s Female Trailblazers

What better day is there than International Women’s Day to raise a toast to the inspirational women in wine who have helped shape, what has traditionally been, a male-dominated industry? There have been so many trailblazers that it is impossible to put together a comprehensive list. However, here are three dynamic women who have broken down ...

Catherine Fielden
1 Mar 2021
1422
views

Txakoli: The Basque Country’s Spritzy Secret

If you’ve been lucky enough to visit the charming seaside city of San Sebastián in Spain’s fiercely independent Basque Country or wander through the dark crooked streets of Bilbao’s old town, you are probably familiar with the region’s very own style of tapas – pintxos. What you may not realise is these small pieces of bread – ...