Jancis Robinson et al

One thing I’ve learnt about blogging is that posts with a good name attract readers, so please forgive me Jancis. Otherwise I was going to entitle this one “Shooting the messenger” !
One element of December and January was photographing three tastings and a book launch before I had to start travelling again. So here is an album of some of  your favourite wine writers at work.
My first was a morning at a wine shop like no other in London – Hedonism. Handily placed in Mayfair if you run out of Y’quem or Lafite. I was there to shoot a tasting put on by Andrea Franchetti for his IGT wines from Tenuta di Trinoro in the Orcia valley in Tuscany.

setting up at Hedonism.

Andrea Franchetti briefs the boys from Hedonism

and checks all is OK.

Stephen Brook was one of the first in.

Some of the stars of the morning.

Oz Clarke, Jancis Robinson and Steven Spurrier are lined too !

Joanna Simon takes a shot.

Serena Sutcliffe, concentration personified.

Oz Clarke and Steven Spurrier not comparing notes !

Ella Lister hard at work.

John Stimpfig is all anticipation

The Cabotte Restaurant in London organised a blind tasting of wines from Nuit St Georges later in December.

The stage is set.

Jancis at the double !

Tim Atkin always make it look easy !

screwcaps just would not look the same !

During the Burgundy tasting week in London Flint Wines asked to record their event. More cries of “Not you again!” from the tasters so I concentrated on the winemakers.Good to see so many familiar faces.

Tasting Burgundy with Flint Wines

Victoria Moore visits planet Flint

Etienne Julien amuses Flint’s Anja

Sons of Meursault, Antoine Jobard and Charles Ballot enjoying a gossip

Cyprien Arlaud making his point.

Tomoko Kuriyama, half of Domaine Chantrêves in Savigny-les-Beaune

The wine media were on hand at the Berry Bros offices in St. James’s for the launch of Ch’ng Poh Tiong’s new book “50 Bordeaux chefs:Top Chinese Restaurants in the World”. Simon Berry was on form as the host and Poh Tiong had provided some Château Yquem 2013.

Poh Tiong greets everyone while John Stimpfig arrived just in time.

Margaret Rand, Simon Berry and Anthony Rose are amused by something

Oz Clarke and Poh Tiong swop stories

Anthony and Neil Beckett conspiring over something.

Sarah Kemp of Decanter peruses her copy

Poh Tiong gets the traditional Berry Bros weigh-in after a good lunch.

Now I’m looking forward to seeing the vineyards again.
Next stop Chile !