From the Journal
Wine notes, event write-ups, the occasional digression. 208 posts so far.
14 Jul 2026
Serve It Cold
Everything out of the ice bucket, poured blind: chilled reds, a Trousseau twin test under two passports, an oxidative Rioja white on ice, and Bouzy brut nature to finish.
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7 Jul 2026
Atlantic Whites: Galicia to the Minho
Eight whites poured blind along the Atlantic fringe of Iberia - granite Galicia to the Minho and the Douro, with a volcanic detour and a slow-motion Rioja ringer.
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4 Jul 2026
QPR, rebuilt: finding wines worth buying
Why the old quality-price ratio lied about both the cheapest and the greatest bottles, what wine economists do instead, and how the new QPR works.
qpranalytics
16 Jun 2026
Norm Wines Vol. 5
Buyable bottles that overdeliver, running the full colour wheel from grower Champagne to sweet Madeira.
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10 Jun 2026
Bérêche i p'ješ: Issue #2
Nine bottles, eight of them from the Bérêche family universe - three labels out of one cellar in Ludes, three still Coteaux Champenois along the way, Aÿ Grand Cru 2016 as the summit - plus a bonus from young Taissy grower Jules Brochet.
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22 May 2026
Mythopia, recalibrated
Ten Mythopia bottles back to back at Lo, organised by Serhii Braha and Sabotage Wines - the inconsistency on display, the recent wins doing the convincing. Plus a bonus Champagne to close.
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19 May 2026
Mix Italiano - hotdogs and a tour of the boot
Italian-only night at Lo, opened with col fondo, hotdogs from the mangal on the street, and a lineup that crossed from Valdobbiadene to Etna with a thirteen-year Montebuono pair in the middle.
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11 May 2026
Six Nebbiolos blind at the Nebbiolo Embassy
Alessio's tasting at Lo - six 10-year-old Nebbiolos blind across Barolo, Barbaresco, Alto Piemonte, and Valtellina, plus a welcome Pelaverga to start.
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6 May 2026
Dard et Ribo, hotdogs, and 96% pharmacy ethanol
Six Dard et Ribo bottles from Maksym's France trips, a blind Ulysse Collin and a Pierre Gonon thrown in for contrast, plus a portable mangal that taught us pharmacy ethanol works fine as charcoal starter.
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5 May 2026
Classy Bubbles Vol. 5
A traditional wine tasting event dedicated to sparkling wines produced by traditional method.
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1 May 2026
UA or Not UA
An impromptu blind tasting - three UA bottles hidden in eight, introducing our new friends from Brazil to Ukrainian winemakers.
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28 Apr 2026
Mixed Bag Vol. 21
Eight blind bottles at Lo Kyiv - a Lessini Durello pet-nat, Loire Chenin, old-school Rioja blanco, Champagne, Galician Mencía, Burgenland Cab Franc, Treiso Nebbiolo, and a 10-year Madeira to close.
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19 Apr 2026
Site Updates Vol. 10
A New Coat of Paint, a Command Palette, and Your Own Cellar (If You Ask Nicely)
development
9 Apr 2026
Site Updates Vol. 9
The Site Is Alive - Registration, Personal Pages, and Your Own Score
development
7 Apr 2026
Fleury
Seven Fleury Champagnes spanning 1992 to 2025 - thirty-three years of biodynamic Côte des Bar.
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6 Apr 2026
Random Party: April 6, 2026
Six bottles from an impromptu gathering that turned into one of the most emotional evenings of the spring.
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1 Apr 2026
Tuscany Blind by Alessio
Eight wines, seven Tuscan, one intruder. All blind.
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31 Mar 2026
Sabotage Wine Club Vol. 2
Envínate, Augalevada, and the Atlantic edge - slate, volcano, sea.
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