Tara Thomas

Jan 24, 2025 | jancisrobinson.com | Tara Thomas

A reassuringly firm and generous red from a legendary Loire producer at a stellar price. Above, Matthieu and Bernard Baudry in their cellar. From $17.98, £19.95. For the last few days, I’ve been struggling to describe why this wine is so good. I could tell you about the balance of silky red fruit and brisk, herbal notes, or how it manages to be both light in weight yet meaty enough to almost taste a little like steak.

Dec 27, 2024 | jancisrobinson.com | Tara Thomas

Or Fontanel’s Rancio Sec – two perfect wines for the festive season, one sweet, one dry, both revelations, and incredibly underpriced. From £19.99 or $28.95 for the Ambré and $29.99 for 50 cl of the Rancio Sec. Above, growers Elodie and Matthieu Collet. What bottle should you bring to dinner when you’re not sure what’s on the menu, or the tastes of the hosts? What to gift to the person who already has a cellar full of wine?

Dec 20, 2024 | jancisrobinson.com | Tara Thomas

Unexpected, excellent and affordable, Austria’s sparkling wines are worth stocking up on. Above, bottles resting in the cellar of Weingut Loimer (credit: Andreas Hofer). The champagne buckets beckoned, the fat bottles cooling in them promising palate relief after hours of tasting seriously structured, high-acid whites and brooding reds.

Nov 21, 2024 | jancisrobinson.com | Samantha Cole-Johnson |Tamlyn Currin |Tara Thomas

Once upon a time Sam, Tam and Tara thought it would be fun to put together a pie pairing guide … turns out it’s much more difficult than was originally thought. Sam writes Back in September I sent Tara a (mostly) boring editorial email. At the very end I mentioned that I thought it would be fun to write a pie pairing guide for the festive season. An hour later I received an email with the subject line ‘PIE!’.

Oct 23, 2024 | jancisrobinson.com | Tara Thomas

Sauvignon Blanc for the ages – or at least the cellar. The final report in our five-part series on the ÖTW’s annual tasting marathon. See previous articles on Grüner Veltliner, the reds, Riesling and other whites and the Wachau. Above, Katharina Tinnacher's Welles vineyard, source of one of the most impressive wines in the tasting. If there was one takeaway from this year’s Styrian tastings at the Single Vineyard Summit, it’s that it pays to age Styrian Sauvignon Blanc.