Blog
This is the blog of wine merchant and communicator, Caspar Bowes. Caspar's blog features reports on new vintages, new vinous discoveries and his general musings on the world of wine.
Am I simply getting old? Our 2006 Rhône offer is coming together but it's been more of a slog than usual. I have, thus far, written 3.5 offers and have been underwhelmed by all of them.Choosing the wines has been the easy part: more of a case of what to leave out than what to include, as we ta…
Thierry Usseglio pouring a sample from a tronc conique: a very à la mode barrel in the RhoneOur last morning and we still had yet to hear about an appointment that may or may not be happening away to the south. We breakfast quickly and head out to Châteauneuf for the last time. The wind…
Laurence Feraud drawing off a sample for our delectationIt's been cold today. The Mistral has been pushing iced air down from Scandinavia and funnelling it through the narrow neck of the northern Rhône, whipping it up to dizzying speeds. An empty wine vat was found in the middle of the road in…
Isobel Ferrando looking unstressedA new bed (we have changed hotel to something rather more salubrious in Orange); too much heavy food. I don't know, but I slept uneasily and woke wishing it were earlier.Thoughts of our first tasting pulled me from my bed, my heels not dragging too much, motivated, …
The view from our lunch terrace over the vineyards of BandolWe plonked down in our hotel in Avignon last evening and debated what to do for dinner. Was I to drive and be circumspect about the wine I was to consume with the meal? My travelling companion had a quick word with the barman and was told t…

