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David Kermode

@mrvinosaurus

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DipWSET • drinks podcast presenter @foodfmradio + BBC, ITV • writer @cluboenologique @decanter @harperswine @thebuyer11 • judge @theiwsc • consultant

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I’m so excited to be chatting to Jancis Robinson OBE MW on the podcast this week, to mark the launch of the ultimate coffee table adornment/reference guide The World Atlas of Wine.
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Jancis needs little by way of an introduction, which is also the case for Hugh Johnson OBE, from whom she inherited this bible of cartography. They both spoke at the launch party (next picture) which was lovely.
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Jancis talks about her love of maps and her boundless enthusiasm for wine that has driven a career spanning more than fifty years. Typically modest, she attributes her longevity and success to being ‘interested’ and talks about the atlas as a huge team project.
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#jancis #jancisrobinson #worldatlasofwine #thedrinkinghour #foodfm by @mrvinosaurus

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9 days ago

The dynamic double act that is @sugruesouthdowns - Dermot and Ana - celebrating two decades since Dermot planted his inaugural vineyard at Storrington Priory (Ana, a seasoned winemaker as well as a business brain, came along a bit later).
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To mark this special occasion, a guest list that read like the great and the good (and gave me bouts of imposter syndrome) - Hugh Johnson, @jancisrobinson @margaret_randpocketwine @timatkinmw @tamlyncurrin @rogerjoneslittlebedwyn amongst others - and a glittering tour through back vintages, mostly in magnum, as well as a teaser of what’s next with still wines as the couple extend their reach to Essex’s Crouch Valley.
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The Trouble With Dreams 2010 a serious treat at 16 years of age, glistening with English orchard purity and gentle biscuity richness, while the Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan 2016 (named after a great uncle who invented duty free, no less) was a tour de force, causing a gentle earthquake of appreciation in the room: still fresh, delicate yet complex.
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There’s a Crouch Valley Chardonnay on the way, of which we had a tasting preview (delicious and richer than I imagined possible), while the fresh and crunchy Never Mind the Gamay Pinot Meunier, pictured being enjoyed at home, is in the market now, with a small amount left for sale I think. Highly recommended.
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Dermot - the Wogan of wine - hosted proceedings in his usual warm, anecdote-charged, charismatic and faintly anarchic fashion, making for a wonderful evening.
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These are truly very exciting times for England. by @mrvinosaurus

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a month ago

South Africa has never been more exciting for fine wine, so it’s the perfect moment for @thewinesociety1874 to launch its latest spotlight, curated by Master of Wine and Whirling Dervish @victoriathewinebuyer who heads @theiwsc Global Judging in SA.
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Victoria has put her Olympic levels of energy and skill into the range, which is likely to be excellent news for members, such as myself, and also very bad news for our bank accounts because it is very difficult not to want to buy the whole lot.
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It was sweltering yesterday but @kudurestaurant has great AC, as well as a great South African menu. The first wine I tried, Scions of Sinai - an elegant, lithe and mineral rich Chenin Blanc was an absolute favourite (the first wine can mislead so I tried it 3 times across the tasting… it set the bar very high, like having Adele as your warm up act) - so I would highly recommend this and a bunch of the Chenin Terroir selection wines, released first (make a note for July 27 as these wines will likely sell fast).
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Also amazing, a small but delicious selection of Chardonnay (launched 1 August), plus some incredible Syrah and, sometimes overlooked but not by Victoria, some beautiful Cinsault, SA’s red secret weapon, including a 2014 Leeu Passant Racine Cinsault-led blend that blew my hot mind. Look put for these wines from the end of next month - released in teasing instalments - and if you’re not a member of the Society, then please see me for a telling off…
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A word too for @randrdrinkers and PIWOSA who put together a brilliant tasting the day before in the glamorous but somewhat sticky surroundings of Quo Vadis, championing some of those premium names that also pop up in Victoria’s selection (a couple of those featured ➡️ including another sensational Chenin Blanc, a variety that is rightly considered SA’s signature white).
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After two days of tasting some of the best SA has to offer I cannot wait to head back there next month for @theiwsc Global Judging and some much needed winter cool.
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#southafricanwine @wosa_za thanks @hazel_macrae for 📷 by @mrvinosaurus

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

Join us for an evening of fine wine tasting with local wine writer, wine judge and popular broadcaster David Kermode - ak Mr Vinosaurus. 14 June 7pm Castles Yard, Burford. Limited tickets available- don’t miss out. www.ticketsource.co.uk/burford-festival. #davidkermode #winetasting #burfordfestival #burford by @mrvinosaurus

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5 months ago

Etna is having its moment. And I mean the wines rather than the magnificent volcano, which also has its moments.
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Courtesy of a winning combination of indigenous grape varieties, old vines, heritage winemaking skills and investment, combined with the lustre of something new and delicious, the wines of Etna are taking on the world, rightly recognised as ‘fine wines’ (whatever that really means).
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It was wonderful to see the region’s producers come together (at least 40 of them) to showcase their wines at the Saatchi Gallery and it was very smart to ask Master Sommelier Matteo Montone to present a selection of wines with @francesca_cioce across three oversubscribed masterclasses.
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The red wines get the lion’s share of the attention, and they are worthy of it, but I really love the whites, Carricante being a sensational grape, with electrifying energy, tension and complexity.
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Scroll ➡️ for @matteo_montone_ms holding court, plus a few favourites from a very, very good selection of wines, plus my joint-favourite Italian mineral water @ferrarelle (which is ‘leggermente frizzante’ - lightly sparkling - so, wonderful for food).
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Thanks @effiwine for making sure I was there. #insideetna #etnawine @etnadocwine @idda.winery @tornatorewines @carlamaugeri by @mrvinosaurus

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7 months ago

If those bags under my eyes suggest an early start, that would be entirely correct. This was a ‘breakfast tasting’ of three new(ish) releases from the magnificent @domperignonofficial stable, presented by equally magnificent winemaker Vincent Chaperon.
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First up, 2017 vintage, ‘not a classic DP’ he said. There was no 2016, not good enough, so the pressure must have been on him and the team to deliver ‘17, which was a much smaller haul than usual (DP don’t reveal volumes). It’s ripe but also taut and fascinating - and, like every DP, needs time. 17 provided challenging summer conditions and this has a slightly different DP signature, certainly at this stage.
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DP 2008 P2 is just heavenly and feels like a classic, with its tight coil of fruity mocha complexity, mineral depth and ethereal charm. You could honestly lose me in a bottle. I wrote ‘God’ in my tasting note, which is unlike me.
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Last up, 2010 vintage rosé. A very serious Champagne, banish thoughts of pink-hued fun, for this is full of tension and gastronomic character, raspberry millefeuille meets charcuterie. I watched @anneinvino - an expert Champagne palate - appear to lose herself in this cuvée, which was joyous. It’s wonderful already. I opened an 09 for friends last year - and it was probably too soon - so if you’re lucky enough to have it, hold on to it. #domperignon #dp @spritzmarketing @lvmh taken in 1 Hotel Mayfair by @mrvinosaurus

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7 months ago

A year ago today, Dylan came to live with us. He had a rough start in life, but thanks to @dogstrust_westlondon who rescued him, he’s certainly comfy now, and it has been a fun year watching him grow (scroll ➡️) and become part of the family.
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@dogstrust #rescuedog #dogsofinstagram by @mrvinosaurus

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8 months ago

Some pictures from an amazing week in Georgia, as part of the ace team @theiwsc global judging, my fourth visit to this small, beguiling country, with a credible claim to be the birthplace of wine.
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Though we judge wines from all over the country (and a few from Armenia too) we are based in a different location each year and this time it was Batumi, on the Black Sea coast in the west of the country.
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The sun shone for our entire visit and it was mostly tee-shirt weather for our visits to wineries and tasting events and for the two days of judging.
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The more you learn about Georgia and its distinctive wines, the more you realise there’s still lots to learn. As ever with the IWSC, my fellow team members (pictured) brought erudition as well as a sense of fun, and we were, as ever, indebted to our hugely experienced judging chair @sarahabbottmw who always brings a sense of equity and empowerment to proceedings and, of course @xtelle8500 who has been the architect of the hugely successful global judging programme, and our local expert judges. Plus, of course, the warm and wonderful Georgians we met and those behind the @gurjaaniwinefest
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A few pictures of me and the team during a whirlwind week, some courtesy of the official photographer, plus one of the very many local dogs. There are far too many strays in Georgia but they are, at least, for the most part well looked after. taken in Batumi, Georgia by @mrvinosaurus

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10 months ago

The River Cafe is our favourite treat so a double celebration (27th anniversary last week plus Mike’s birthday next week) was the perfect excuse. As ever it delivered - remarkable given it has been there for almost 40 years - with an utterly delicious dinner showcasing the finest ingredients and a great, relatively well priced wine list, including a great TrentoDOC sparkler and a textural, lithe Etna white (with special thanks to @mljackson2 who helped us get a table on a very busy night) #wepaid @therivercafelondon @ferraritrento @liberty_wines @ivigneri_salvofoti taken in The River Cafe by @mrvinosaurus

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a year ago

What an honour to hang out with the legendary South African viticulturalist, Rosa Kruger, at the Old Vine Conference in California. Those old vines speak to her and it’s easy to see why, because they know they’re in good hands @ouroldvines @kruger_rosa @wosa_za taken in Lodi, California by @mrvinosaurus

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a year ago

The view from one of the tasting ‘pavilions’ @quintessawinery must be one of the most extraordinary. Thankfully, the wines, biodynamic, vital and bright, live up to the stunning scenery, made all the more vivid by autumn sunshine and a tapestry of green, gold and ochre as the vines prepare to shed their leaves and rest for winter. #napa @napavintners @kt_canfield taken in Quintessa by @mrvinosaurus

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a year ago