My Taste: Tesco

Editor Richard Siddle assesses the Tesco autumn tasting.

Jury's out on the miracle vintage

Everyone and everything is pointing to a near perfect Bordeaux harvest, but as Richard Siddle discovers it is too early to say what effect that will have on UK prices for the 2009 vintage or eventual quality and styles of the wines

Naked Wines spends $100,000 at Wines of Argentina tasting

Naked Wines has pledged to spend $100,000 with Argentine producers following last week's Wines of Argentina tasting at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Argento launches in USA

Critics May May 22-24

What the press have to say over the May bank holiday weekend.

The second part of Natasha Hughes' marathon tasting round Argentina

Argentina, 14-22 March 2009

Castel expands with new estate

France's largest wine group has continued its expansion with the acquisition of an 18th century estate, it has emerged.

Wines in the Press, December 20-21

Jancis gets busy with the fizzy, Jane finds unsold bargains, Anthony highlights independents in the Independent and Joanna experiments with a magic wand

Can you tango like that?!

Best chat up line heard in 4 gruelling days doing a stint at The World Travel Market, pushing wines of Argentina to the travel trade. Can't accuse moi of not pulling her weight.

A Harpers hello from down under!

Harpers' features editor Rebecca Gibb is in Mildura, judging at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show this week. In between tasting more than 600 wines, Rebecca will be filling us in on her trip in a series of blogs. Here's blog number one...

Las Moras steps up marketing campaign

Argentinian wine brand Finca Las Moras is stepping up its UK marketing activity following major new listings for its wines.

Blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina competition - Part 3

In the latest installment of out blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition, wine business entrepreneur Dominic Crolla tells us why he's dreaming of steak. Over the next few days, each of our five winners are enjoying a tour of each of the main wine regions and visiting key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK, and sending back missives of their travels. Here's Dominic's blog...

Wines in the Press: Malbec, Muscadet and wines in the desert

This week Jane MacQuitty assesses the future of Oddbins, Victoria Moore goes back to her roots and Jonny Beardsall takes a trip to the Namib desert to meet a remarkable winemaker. Meanwhile Joanna Simon is surprised by the following on new website thewinegang.com.

Origin switches sourcing of Camden Park to Argentina

Origin Wines is switching the supply of one of its premium brands from Austrailia to Argentina in a bid to make the brand more profitable.

UK wine importers hit by Argentinean strikes

Strikes and road blockades that crippled much of Argentina have impacted UK wine importers, with one major buyer waiting more than four months for a delivery.
TextStrikes and road blockades that crippled much of Argentina have impacted UK wine importers, with one major buyer waiting more than four months for a delivery.

All Bar One offers "limited edition" rosés of the world

All Bar One, the bar chain owned by Mitchells & Butlers, has started offering a "Limited Edition wines list" to customers, starting this week with a selection of rosé wines.

Finca Las Moras adds new premium wine range

Finca Las Moras has launched a new premium wine, the Las Moras Gran Shiraz 3 Valleys.

The Times

If we sideline Jane MacQuitty's rant about the stratospheric prices for the "mediocre" 2007 Bordeaux vintage, there remain some interesting recommendations this week. The 2006 Malbec Alamos (5.24, Bibendum) is a "tasty, top dog Argentinian red" while the 2004 Burgundy Meursault Jean-Marc Bouzereau (19.99, selected Tesco stores) is "complete with lots of burnt, buttered toast flavours on the finish".

The Sunday Times

Gordon Brown's upcoming budget will bid a stern farewell to 2.99 a bottle wine, Jane MacQuitty laments. "Getting used to paying more for the bottles you'd crack open mid-week without ceremony will be hard," so she suggests stockpiling such bottles ahead of next month's announcement. Tesco's 2007 Argento Shiraz at 2.99 is good for its "fat, supple, spicy" flavours while the 2006 Muscadet La Rgate (Sainsbury's, 2.99) proves to be "delicious, light and lemony".

Financial Times

The results of the Wines of Argentina awards are this week's topic of conversation for JANCIS ROBINSON MW. She says the most exciting aspect is that only one of the trophy-winning wines costs more than 10 a bottle, although she expresses disappointment about the lack of white wines entered.
Wines worthy of mention include the 2006 Alamos Pinot Noir, Mendoza (6.99; Majestic) and the 2006 JF Lurton Chardonnay Reserva.