Over thirty friends and family joined us at Il Girifalco, Massa Marittima to celebrate David’s first 65 years. Hugh, David and I arrived on Tuesday 23 July to find Jill, Peter and Lottie (travelling on her ice-cooler blanket) already in place after their drive from the UK, and ready for supper (including that runaway favourite … Continue reading Late July 2019: arriving in Massa Marittima

The hottest day so far this year coincided with the annual Andover Wine Friends’ summer party (partly arranged to drink up all the unwanted wine which remained from David’s MW exam wine library) and immediately preceded the first day of our whistle stop tour of the North by train and bike. We left the house … Continue reading The Great North Tour – July 2019

This will be a piece about our time spent in London, staying with friends near St Paul’s in order for David to take the tasting papers for the MW qualification, and allowing me to enjoy two theatre matinees and several galleries and exhibitions: - Henry IV part I at the Globe and - Rutherford and … Continue reading The first week of June 2019

Philip Rowles, of the Rowles Partnership Wine Education Consultancy, adviser to the WSET and expert and author on Sherry, has lived and worked in Jerez since his University days. We were very lucky indeed that he not only provided us with an insider’s itinerary, but made most of the practical arrangements for our visit. There … Continue reading Jerez – January 2019

There’s alot to be said for a city break between Christmas and the New Year - and many, many other people clearly thought the same thing - Florence  was heaving! So many beautiful places to visit - this photo was taken in the Baptistry - and our list will follow - but the most extraordinary … Continue reading Florence – late December 2018

  This was a specially organised series of winery visits with a group made up of members of Andover Wine Friends. We started in Carmignano, between Pisa and Florence, staying at the small but pleasant Hotel Villa S. Michele, to visit Capezzana and Torre a Cona, in the Colli Fiorentini (Florentine Hills)   before moving on … Continue reading Tuscany wine tour – September 2018

The good news: we arrived in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with half an hour to spare before the world cup semi-final between England and Croatia began. The bad news was that our chambre d’hôte at La Pergola was inaccessible  - totally barricaded within a building site in the centre of the busy little town. But as our hostess … Continue reading Châteauneuf-du-Pape : July 2018

Monday morning, after a stunning breakfast - the fig and orange jams replacing the jam trap as the wasps’ preferred destination - we had time to explore the steep slopes of the Côte Rôtie on the back roads between Condrieu and Ampuis followed by a stroll down to the river and the local landing stage … Continue reading The Northern Rhône: July 2018

We left Burgundy via the now very familiar and wonderful D974 - la route des grands crus - and onto the D981,  studiously avoiding all signs to the motorway and la route de soleil, remaining steadfastly on the right bank of first the Saône and ultimately the Rhône, as the valley widens and the Côte … Continue reading Via Beaujolais to Condrieu in Northern Rhône : July 2018

After the train trauma it took some effort to resist the attempt of the charming young woman in Dijon to hire us a higher spec car. We were rewarded by a free up-grade none the less, when she failed to locate the key for our little Fiat or Corsa. We drove south down the famous … Continue reading Beaune and beautiful Burgundy – July 2018