Spring cold snaps bring late frosts and vines suffering from low temperatures risk losing their buds. As a consequence winegrowers could lose some or all of their production. Below I look at a few techniques we use to fight against vine freezing. One of my guiding friends, who also manages viticultural work, has been out before first light in the last few days putting some of these techniques in place. Robert, the vineyard director at the Chateau group I managed, told me deca

Last Autumn I had the pleasure of organising and guiding a two-day wine tour in Fronsac, Saint-Emilion and the Medoc for a corporate event for a City of London firm. I also included a walking tour of Bordeaux late on the afternoon of the first day, to put the history of Bordeaux wines into the context of the development of the city and its port. The aim of the visits was to get to know the area, its wine regions and a few estates in a fun way, as well as giving space for busi

A few years ago, I had the chance to organize and guide a 4-day wine tour for a wonderful couple of wine connoisseurs and industry insiders. We started on a Sunday, which is tricky in Bordeaux as few Chateaux are open but my guests were happy exploring the range of Bordeaux’s wines, including lesser known but great value wine areas. I arranged this first day of visits in Bourg & Blaye. We also enjoyed a family Sunday lunch at a friend’s Chateau in Bourg (she is the 13th gen