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Articles by Algy Belville

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About Algy Belville

We are delighted to add Algy Belville to our team of writers. Algy was a director of family film Bodgers and Belville , Wine Merchants of St James. He will be contributing a column on wine. Algy lives in Amberley Sussex , is captain of his Crown Bowls team and a local Councillor. More Posts

A wine tasting with a difference

In May 1976 the English wine critic Steven Spurrier presented some Californian wines in Paris. Fearing that the distinguished panel was so unfamiliar with them, at the last moment he paired them with some classy French wines like Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Las Cases and Ch. Montrose. In a blind [...]

May 26, 2023 // 0 Comments

A private cellar tasting

Yesterday I attended a private cellar tasting organised by a local Wine School. I enjoy these events where participators bring their own choice of wine. Mine was a Slovenian red bottled by Dveri Pax which went down well. My neighbour, who was clearly a wine connoisseur and was anxious you should [...]

November 18, 2022 // 0 Comments

Rathfinny Wine Estate

The Rathfinny Wine Estate was once a large arable farm but was acquired in 2012 by Mark and Sarah Driver who transformed it into a vineyard specialising in the cultivation and production of sparkling wine. Sussex wine growers cannot term it champagne – although their sparkling wine notably [...]

September 25, 2022 // 0 Comments

A wine worthy of celebration

Last Friday day I arrived – the day before a 21st celebration – at the home of some old friends, one of whom has an excellent cellar. The weather was broiling so we ate late al fresco. My friend served a Chateau Neuf du Pape but the star of the evening was a bottle of Chateau Yquem. [...]

June 19, 2022 // 0 Comments

The. Tanner Report: Fulham 2 Blackburn 0

This wa a sound and satisfactory performance but not a spectacular one. Fulham’s recent cycle of victories is based upon a well-organised defence which has been returning clean sheets. Fulham’s first half goals were due to some inept goalkeeping by Thomas Kaminski, who first failed to get [...]

March 6, 2022 // 0 Comments

A tasting of Austrian wines

The Wine School I attend convened last night to taste Austrian wines. It was the first post-lockdown event I attended and for this alone I enjoyed it. The tutor began by extolling the virtues of Austrian wines: they are organically grown, have more reduced alcoholic content and there is now a [...]

November 5, 2021 // 0 Comments

Sassicaia and the Super Tuscans

Fashion, as in many things, determines price in wine. In my lifetime I have witnessed Bordeaux, then Bourgogne, then the Supertuscans dominate the fine red wine market. The rise of Sassicaiia from a table wine in the 1970s to £150 per bottle now is a case in point. Its production is far more [...]

April 8, 2021 // 0 Comments

Lightweight reds

Readers who share my aversion to heavy alcohol reds have asked to recommend lighter ones. This subject was well covered by Jane MacQuitty in The Times last Saturday and Andrew Jefford of   Decanter. Both recommended as lightweight reds the Austrian Bass Zweigelt and Jane Macquitty the John [...]

March 12, 2021 // 0 Comments

The proof is in the alcohol

The other day I opened up a bottle from my cellar of Barberesco – Piero  Busso was the winemaker and it was called Gallina. I saw that is was 14.5% alcohol and two glasses of it gave me a headache for the following day. I did a kindness for a friend on the Rust and he wanted to thank me with [...]

March 10, 2021 // 0 Comments

A virtual wine tasting

Last Sunday was something of a first: a virtual wine tasting. I invited about 12 people but with  declines and dropouts the final number was 6. The day before I spoke to the wine tutor and event organiser expressing a concern that the group might be unfamiliar with the technology which was not [...]

December 16, 2020 // 0 Comments

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