Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Saturday 14 March 2015

In Vino Valréas!



Valréas 2021 is an operation to both persuade the vignerons of this Côtes du Rhône Villages to work more closely together as well as promoting the wines so that they become better known. Initially it was intended that Valréas 2021 would see the wines of Valréas promoted to a Rhône cru like Gigondas or Vacqueyras but as only 10% of the production here is sold under the appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas there wasn't huge enthusiasm for trying to become a cru. Instead the vignerons have commissioned a report on the village's terroir and one on looking at the words professional tasters use to describe the wines of Valréas. 

Yesterday saw the third activity trying a find ways of decribing these wines avoiding the traditional terms used in tasting – an interesting experiment to which I will return. It was also the opportunity to report on the studies on the terroir and tasting words.   

A copious breakfast at the excellent Maison d'Anvers 
 for those tasters who wanted it

Jacques Coipel

Olivier Bompas 

Full on tasting


 Michel Chapuis au boulot!

 Tasting sheet

Emmanuel Bouchard – le président!


 Lunch served by the students of the Lycée de Valréas



Patrick Adrien – le maire de Valréas



Jean-Marc ancien gardien des peintures

L'équipe du lycée pour le soir 


 Bernard Sorbier

 Jean-Pierre





Santé en modération

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