The Wine Merchant's Blog

A glass of Vintage Champagne – delicious, indeed; but not exactly every day drinking for us mere mortals. So what else is out there when you don’t want to settle for ‘more affordable’, but often mass produced acidic Champagne from the Supermarket? On a misty April morning this year the JN Taste Team descended upon […]

JNwine.com retained the ‘Regional Merchant of the Year for Northern Ireland’ title which it has claimed now for 17 years, confirming its place amongst Britain and Ireland’s leading specialist retailers last night as the International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards 2010 recognised the industry’s best performers at The Hilton Park Lane, London. Judged by a panel […]

The beauty and tranquility of Germany’s Mosel Valley has been disrupted by the plan to build a huge bridge spanning the river at Ürzig, one of the area’s picturesque villages. If the proponents get their way, the 160 metre high structure will dominate the landscape. The massive bridge is viewed as a threat to several […]

Once again love is the air again this week at Nicholson’s. And this time it’s not the JN Taste Team’s latest infatuation with Olivier Zind Humbrect’s offerings. In the last few months we have noticed more and more couples coming into the shop to plan theirwedding wines. The wine is usually one of the last […]

The arrival of summer is great way to get excited about Rosé. Forget about cheap Californian Blush that is a raging headache waiting to happen, or sickly sweet versions that sprout up everywhere this time of year. Although popular with the masses, these examples are the reason why most people are reluctant to try better […]

Pretty much every vintage of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, one of the original First Growths in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, has increased hugely in price in the past couple of years. This has been driven primarily by huge demand from the Far East, and China in particular. The annual production of the Chateau wine is […]

Is 3 for a £10.00 to become a thing of the past? Much debate has been had on the government introducing a minimum price for alcohol. Let’s hope so as we all know that such offers do not offer value for money just a feeling of malaise after drinking. What is it that makes the […]

I don’t care what all you cynics say out there, I love a good wedding! It’s not because I relish in spending weeks searching for the perfect ensemble, or trying to match my partners tie to the lining of my handbag. It is because it’s the perfect opportunity to get to together with family and […]

The summer is upon us at last and we live in hope that the sun will actually shine. So the search for lighter, more refreshing styles of wine begins. The choices are endless but zesty, aromatic, refreshing whites , juicy fruit driven roses and chilled light reds are what you need. For whites light, steely, […]

Day 1 Morning After a 3am start for most of us, a weary band of wine trade stalwarts assemble at Frankfurt airport. Introductions completed, we await our lift to the Leitz winery in Rüdesheim. The stereotypical edifice of German efficiency begins to crumble as we wait, and wait, and wait for our driver to find […]

If there’s one top tip the JN taste team can offer to maximise your vinous enjoyment, it is this: decant your red wines (some white wines also benefit enormously too). Why? Traditionally, most people associate decanting with separating an older wine or port from its sediment.We strongly recommend decanting wine to give it air, let […]

Most people envisage a wine harvest, or vendange, as a romantic scene; rolling landscapes washed with glorious sunshine, enjoying wine at a grand chateau in the evenings. In September 2008, sitting in Dublin Airport I had such expectations. Bearing in mind this was my third week working in the wine trade. A bona fide novice. […]