Andy Howard MW

1 week ago | jancisrobinson.com | Andy Howard MW

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, held its 2025 spring/summer press tasting on 25 March. While this is a significant event for consumers in the UK, it is also of interest to those in the US and Europe given the breadth of range they stock. To that end, this report focuses on wines likely to be available in many countries, while excluding nearly all those marketed under the Tesco own-brand ‘Finest’ label. The UK grocery market is estimated to be worth £231...

3 weeks ago | decanter.com | Andy Howard MW

French sparkling wines designated as Crémant are produced using the traditional method as practised in Champagne, involving a second fermentation in the bottle, and Crémant de Bourgogne is the leading example in this important sector. Across France, more than 100 million bottles of Crémant are produced each year, in eight regions: Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Die (in the Rhône), Jura, Limoux, Loire and Savoie.

1 month ago | decanter.com | Andy Howard MW

Andy Howard MW, Melania Battiston and Victoria Daskal tasted 203 wines, with 13 Outstanding and 125 Highly Recommended Cru Beaujolais 2022: Panel tasting scores Exceptional 0 Outstanding 13 Highly recommended 125 Recommended 60 Commended 5 Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2022 vintage reds from any of the 10 Beaujolais cru sub-regions (Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié, St-Amour) The judges were...

1 month ago | decanter.com | Andy Howard MW

The Grand Auxerrois describes a large area in the Yonne department surrounding Chablis in the north of Burgundy. More than a century ago, this was one of the most important wine-producing areas in France, before it was devastated by the phylloxera bug and changing economic conditions. In the mid-19th century, there were more than 40,000ha of vines, but by 1980, this had fallen to less than 3,000ha (of which Chablis accounted for more than half).

2 months ago | decanter.com | Andy Howard MW

Andy Howard MW, Eugenio Egorov and David Williams tasted 110 wines, with 32 Highly Recommended Value Spanish Tempranillo: Panel tasting scores Exceptional 0 Outstanding 0 Highly recommended 32 Recommended 71 Commended 7 Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release still dry red wines of any Spanish classification (DOCa, DO, Vino de la Tierra, Vino de España) made from minimum 85% Tempranillo (or any accepted synonym, such as Tinta de Toro, Tinta del...