Circle of Wine Writers

06/11/2024

Delighted to announce that the final
Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk of 2024 will be about Cyprus Wine: a historical review 1920s - 2020s with Marcos Zambartas.

The webinar will take place on Tuesday 19th November at 5pm GMT.

Marcos, who members on the CWW - Circle of Wine Writers press trip to Cyprus earlier this year, will remember, will describe 100 years of winemaking on the island, from the 1920s to the 2020s. He will cover the progress from homemade wine in traditional clay pots to multi-million-litre production units exporting in bulk to all continents, and on to today when there is a 90% drop in vineyard land but quality is as high as ever. What are the lessons of the past and what will the future bring?

Marcos is owner and MD of Zambartas Winery, a medium-size winery near Limassol founded in 2005. He joined the family company after completing degrees in chemistry at Imperial College, London and oenology at Adelaide University, and in 2014 he succeeded his father in managing the winery. Today, Marcos oversees all operations and sets the strategy and goals of the winery. He is the winery’s ’face’ in promotional activities locally and internationally, is a Master of Wine student, and is involved with the 14-strong growers association WINECOREv(WINEries’ of Cyprus Own Rooted Evolution), which focusses on promoting and elevating Cyprus’s unique local varieties.

Guests welcome - please do contact Sue Eames to receive the link.

Michalis Georgiou, Elina Christofidou, Visit Cyprus

05/11/2024

What a pleasure for Circle of Wine Writers members - ex Chairperson Winnie Bowman, Committee member Sue Eames, Dominic Buckwell, Roger Jones and Jason Millar to catch up at 67 Pall Mall for a wonderful tasting of several vintages of Creation Wines chardonnay and pinot noir.

A huge thank you to JC and Carolyn Martin, Daniela Messina for presenting such great South African wines, and also to Dominic for sharing 2 aged Burgundies from his cellar.

05/11/2024

What a pleasure for Circle of Wine Writers members ex Chairperson Winnie Bowman, Committee member Sue Eames and talented members Tim Atkin MW and Peter McCombie MW to meet up at the amazing World’s Best Vineyards final on the stunning Nyetimber Wines estate. Atkin MW was a wonderful compere and it was great to see Marques de Riscal at No.1, Vik wine at No.2, and Creation wines at No.3. What a fabulous evening. So sorry we couldn’t find CWW - Circle of Wine Writers member Tatiana Mann Pakhmutova for the photo.

02/11/2024

Do contact Sue Eames or Michele Shah if you would like to join this Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk

02/11/2024

Delighted to share this great photo of Circle of Wine Writers members Ellen Wallace and Markus Hungerbühler in Lausanne at a presentation and public tasting of wines by Real Wine owner, Swiss MW Paul Liversedge. Our members really do get everywhere.

02/11/2024

Always a pleasure to share the new professional ventures of our talented Circle of Wine Writers members. David Brown, who is a New Orleans based writer, and whose work appears regularly in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast and The Drop, has just launched the drinks vertical for The Food Section, the James Beard award-winning culinary newsletter, as its wine columnist. Check out his first column here

Bacchanal in New Orleans has a better idea

31/10/2024

Do contact Sue Eames if you would like to join us next Tuesday 5th November

31/10/2024

A huge pleasure to share this lovely photo of very talented Circle of Wine Writers members Dijana Carlito Grgic, Paula Redes Sidore and Herve Lalau on a press trip to Sicily.

26/10/2024

A huge pleasure to share this great article ‘CYPRUS Dawn of a New Era’ written by very talented Circle of Wine Writers President and member Rosemary George MW, and published in the July-September issue of Sommelier India, following the CWW - Circle of Wine Writers press trip to Cyprus in February. Rosemary was particularly struck by the island’s numerous indigenous grape varieties and high altitude vineyards. With huge thanks to Michalis Georgiou who organised this visit with Elina Christofidou and Visit Cyprus.

25/10/2024

Do contact Sue Eames if you would like to join us

22/10/2024

Delighted to announce that the next Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk about the diversity of modern Italian winemaking and its adaption to climate change with Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella will take place on Tuesday 5th November at 5pm GMT.

Riccardo and Renzo are ranked among Italy’s top winemakers and have both made important contributions to the quality and diversity of modern Italian wine. They will talk from their different perspectives, Riccardo as consultant to more than 100 major wineries in Europe and beyond; Renzo as head of one of Italy’s most acclaimed family wineries.

Riccardo, founder of consulting company Chiasso Cotarella, Professor of Oenology at the University of Tuscia and recognised as The President of Global Enologists and National President of Assoenologi, Italy’s national oenologist association, stresses the importance of distinctiveness that sets Italy apart.

Renzo Cotarella joined Marchesi Antinori as head of production in 1993 and in 1998 became Managing Director. Since 2005 he has been nominated Chief Executive Officer at Marchesi Antinori, which today encompasses a number of independent wineries within the group in Italy and globally, including most recently Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in the US.

In 2003 Renzo was nominated President of the Consortium of the Wines of Orvieto, a position he held until 2011.

Today, Renzo Cotarella continues to serve as a Director of the Chianti Classico consortium and Consorzio Vino Toscana and Federvini.

For Renzo, who is responsible for Famiglia Cotarella’s 200ha of vines and nearly two million bottle annual production, climate change is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Guests welcome - please contact Sue Eames to receive the link if you would like to join us.

21/10/2024

A huge pleasure to welcome new member Michele Padberg to the Circle of Wine Writers. Michele is a freelance writer, international wine judge, advanced sommelier, presenter and member of the Association of Wine Educators. She has over 23 years experience in the wine industry, was part of the editorial board and a contributor to the e-book ‘The New Normal in the Wine World’. Michele crafts insightful lectures, hosts elite VIP events around the world, and is co-owner of Vivac Winery in New Mexico, USA.

16/10/2024

Delighted to share this great photo of Circle of Wine Writers members Sue Eames and Markus Hungerbuhler at the wonderful presentation and tasting hosted by Visit Cyprus to celebrate 800 years of Commanderia. The event took place at the OIV - International Organisation of Vine and Wine Congress in Dijon and featured in the photo are two of our hosts Elina Christofidou and Thoukis Georgiou.

A great opportunity to taste the wide range of these fabulous wines … from fortified through VDN to some lighter styles, followed by a lovely lunch with white and red wines from the Ezousa Winery and of course Commanderia, where we were able to discuss these fabulous wines in more detail.

14/10/2024

What a pleasure to share this great article ‘A paradise for treasured grapes’ written by talented Circle of Wine Writers member Ann J Samuelsen for the Norwegian Trade magazine Aperitif, following the CWW - Circle of Wine Writers press trip to Cyprus. As Ann says, she was really impressed by all the well made, high quality wines tasted in Cyprus and to see the spectacular vineyards up in the mountains at an elevation of 800 - 1500m. With huge thanks to Michalis Georgiou who organised this visit with Elina Christofidou and Visit Cyprus.

11/10/2024

Do contact Sue Eames if you would like to join this next Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk about Sustainability in Jerez on Tuesday 15th October at 5pm BST.

Delighted to announce that the next Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk about Sustainability in Jerez and beyond webinar, with Victoria Gonzalez-Gordon will take place on Tuesday 15th October at 5pm BST. The webinar will focus on how the crucial challenge of sustainability is being faced in Spain, in both the Sherry heartland and other wine-producing regions.

Victoria, a fifth generation member of the Gonzalez Byass wine family, is responsible for leading all the company’s sustainability practices, a responsibility she took on in 2022 after directing the international marketing department for more than 15 years.

From its beginnings in Jerez in 1835, Gonzalez Byass has grown to today’s 14 wineries, producing premium wines and spirits in Spain, Chile and Mexico. Central to all it does is the preservation of the natural environment for the generations to come.

One current example is the Vineyard Angel project launched in 2021, an initiative seeking to retrieve, maintain and preserve Spain’s old vineyards. Work is already underway in Rueda and Penedes.

Guests welcome - please contact Sue Eames with your e-mail to receive the link.

11/10/2024

A real pleasure to share this great article ‘How successful is Portugal’s WASP programme’ written by very talented Circle of Wine Writers member LM Archer and published in the The Drinks Business ahead of London’s first ever ‘Sustainability in Drinks’ SID event next Monday 14th & Tuesday 15th October.
Check out the article here https://www.drinksbusiness.com/2024/10/how-successful-is-portugals-wasp-programme/

07/10/2024

Delighted to announce that the next Circle of Wine Writers Let’s Talk about Sustainability in Jerez and beyond webinar, with Victoria Gonzalez-Gordon will take place on Tuesday 15th October at 5pm BST. The webinar will focus on how the crucial challenge of sustainability is being faced in Spain, in both the Sherry heartland and other wine-producing regions.

Victoria, a fifth generation member of the Gonzalez Byass wine family, is responsible for leading all the company’s sustainability practices, a responsibility she took on in 2022 after directing the international marketing department for more than 15 years.

From its beginnings in Jerez in 1835, Gonzalez Byass has grown to today’s 14 wineries, producing premium wines and spirits in Spain, Chile and Mexico. Central to all it does is the preservation of the natural environment for the generations to come.

One current example is the Vineyard Angel project launched in 2021, an initiative seeking to retrieve, maintain and preserve Spain’s old vineyards. Work is already underway in Rueda and Penedes.

Guests welcome - please contact Sue Eames with your e-mail to receive the link.