Advent Calendar 2023 by Wine52

Rather than focussing on a specific case, I thought I’d mention some favourites from cases that Wine52 have offered over the last few months. From classic regions such as the Rhone to Portugal’s Alentejo and Hungary’s Balaton, the cases have been exciting and adventurous. Hailing from Chile’s Rapel Valley, home to the Cachapoal and Colchagua rivers, it’s a region with many meso-climates due to the nature of the hills and mountains. I’d say this Pinot Grigio displays evidence of coming from the…

Wine52’s latest case stars wines from the Portuguese region of Tejo, named after the river which divides the region. Tejo has had a negative reputation up until recently, mainly with large producers selling mass market wines destined for forgetful styles which serviced the demand for nearby Lisbon. However, it has come onto the wine scene with renewed vigour since a replanting programme began with a focus on quality grapes and newer varieties to take advantage of the varying soils and conditions…

By Master of Wine, Christopher Burr 26/02/2023 Wine 52's latest pack is from Bulgaria. Eastern Europe is seeing a phenomenal revival of its wine Industry since perestroika. Outside investment, and a genuine desire to revive its indigenous and historic grape varieties and use modern wine making techniques, plus a desire to make less wine and therefore of quality, rather than just bulk plonk. We remember the days in the 1970's and 80's of the gutsy wine Bulls Blood, named after the blood they…

By Master of Wine, Christopher Burr 29/11/2022 The latest three bottle pack from Wine52, comes with an excellent booklet explaining the interesting wines from Sicily, plus the usual tasty nibbles. There is a Syrah, the Rhone varietal grape, which has spread to Australia (as Shiraz) and most other warmer wine growing places around the World. It has a very creative label of a wolf's face and mouth and is called In Bocca al Lupo, which is Italian slang for "good luck". This is a good round fruity…

By Master of Wine, Christopher Burr 15/08/2022 After an auspicious start with their wine selections from Portugal and Spain, expectations are high for where they might find other goodies. The Rhone has always been one of the best places in otherwise expensive France to find great value, with lots of interesting wines to match with great regional gastronomy. There were one white Rhone and two reds. The white called "Glou Glou" was a white Ventoux from the southern Rhone, a blend of Claireitte…