Jones closing The Harrow to focus on wine

After 21 years at Michelin-starred wine oasis The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, proprietors Roger and Sue Jones have announced they will take final orders on 28 March 2020.

Australia: On-trade viewpoints

Lucy Britner asked leading on-trade figures what turns them on about Australian wines – and how they ensure those wines work on their list. Here are their replies. 

Prowein 2015: Roger Jones says Auf Wiedersehen with his highlights from Dusseldorf

Roger Jones takes us around the wine world on his Prowien 2015 journey of discovery, where he explores some new and interesting wines.

Prowein 2015: Roger Jones' day two from de Prowein Haus

Roger Jones takes us around the wine world on his Prowien 2015 journey of discovery, where he explores some new and interesting wines.

Day One at de Prowein House

Getting on the 10am Easy Jet flight from Gatwick to Dusseldorf yesterday morning was a bit like joining the Wine Trade Sunday School outing. The pull of Prowein has been building vastly over the last few years and it was good to see so many interested parties on the plane.

Prowein 2015: Roger Jones' day one at de Prowein Haus

Getting on the 10am Easy Jet flight from Gatwick to Dusseldorf yesterday morning was a bit like joining the Wine Trade Sunday School outing. The pull of Prowein has been building vastly over the last few years and it was good to see so many interested parties on the plane.

Roger Jones sees England win on home soil in Battle of Bubbles with New Zealand

After a draw in New Zealand 12 hours earlier, a challenge yesterday afternoon to see whether English sparkling wine would win against New Zealand on home ground resounded in a clear victory for the home team, although technically as it was held at New Zealand House, it was not quite home soil.

Roger Jones concludes his South African tour with a clarion call to the UK to stock up!

The South Africa wine industry generally seems to be fighting a battle to persuade the UK that it produces not only premium quality wines but that they deserve a higher price for these wines. Having seen one notable exchange between a formidable UK Importer and equal South African producer regarding prices it would seem that not all is rosy in the Cape garden.

Roger Jones' South African journey covers sublime Pinotgate and bush vine Chardonnay

First visit of the day was not the usual looking winery, but a bungalow in the middle of a housing estate; Thorne and Daughters, and sadly the daughters were too busy to meet me as they were both attending primary school!

Roger Jones finds gold in them thar hills of Stellenbosch

Roger Jones: how South Africa came out top in Michelin challenge with Australian wines

Roger Jones finds there is much to be impressed by South African sparkling wines

With English Sparkling Wine dominating prestigious wine lists in the UK, it is interesting that we may have forgotten about the quality that South Africa produce, under the Methode Cap Classique category. Slightly confusing they also have a sparkling wine category which is not made in the traditional champenoise method, where C02 is added.

Roger Jones looks ahead to a culinary and wine tour of South Africa

Over the next two weeks I will not only be visiting numerous wineries or farms as they call them here but cooking at two prestigious pop up events. The first is on Friday January 9 at The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, where 80 guests will be served a six course dinner matched with 12 premium wines blind from Australia and South Africa. The second dinner will be held at 96 Winery Road, in the company of Mr Chenin; Ken Forrester. Prior to that I have organised a tasting of South African sparkling wines, with one of England's top Fizz, Sugrue Pierre,  thrown into the mix, bringing together some of the Cape's top tasters and sparkling wines.

Roger Jones concludes his wine tour of New Zealand with praise for its sustainability

Sadly my time in New Zealand has come to an end, however, amongst all the highlights and amazing experiences, including flying a plane, one common theme kept coming up, besides the quality of the wines, and that is the word sustainability.

Roger Jones on falling in love with the "wild west" of New Zealand's Central Otago

If there was one area in New Zealand which defines the whole ethos of its wine industry it must be Central Otago.

Roger Jones adds a Canterbury tale to his tour of New Zealand

The car journey from Blenheim Airport to Waipara is one of the most beautiful drives you could envisage, with a wild coastline that is picture perfect.

Roger Jones on what New Zealand is doing best with Sauvignon Blanc and his top wines

Concerns have been rumbling in the UK that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc may have reached its fashion peak and is going the same way as Australian Chardonnay did a decade ago, where the industry were guided by the supermarket dinosaurs to produce a product that consumers no longer wanted, but price and flash instant big flavour hit was the defining factor.

Roger Jones on how New Zealand's Nelson is coming out of Marlborough's shadow

Overshadowed by New Zealand's flagship 'Marlborough' region just two hours scenic drive to the East, sunny Nelson is a truly boutique region offering a range of impressive quality and world class wines.

Roger Jones discovers a rugby hero and great wines in Martinborough

A Burgundian Grand Cru style village community saturated with prestigious vineyards squeezed into a very small area with just one prime green site not attributed to vines, the rugby ground!

Roger Jones indulges in Hawkes Bay's Food and Wine Classic

For 10 days in November Hawkes Bay is transformed into a food and wine Mecca attracting thousands of people from all over the world to divulge and celebrate the bounty that the area produces as part of the Food and Wine Classic. Wineries, local restaurants, scenic parks and historical buildings are used to offer an array of tastings, gourmet meals, art, voyages, celebrity chefs, and wine challenges, all packed out from free to enter events to ticketed events up to $300 per person.