2012 Decanter World Wine Awards: last few portraits

 Ben Llewelyn (Caviste – independent merchant)

 Danny Cameron (Raymond Reynolds – Portuguese specialists)

 Elizabeth Gabay MW (consultant)

Justin Liddle (Stokes Fine Wines Ltd)

2012 Decanter World Wine Awards: a few pics from 4th day

Part of the downstairs@The Worx

Andy Howard (buyer for Marks & Spencer)

 Anthony Barne MW (head of UK wine Bonhams auctioneers)

 Christian Honorez (H2VIN)

 Godfrey Spence (writer and lecturer)

 John Livingstone-Learmonth

Jason Turner (Austrian specialist based in Vienna)

 

Downstairs@The Worx

 Jim Harre (Senior Judge with New Zealand Winegrowers, 

Chairman of Judges for the New World Wine Competition)

 Marcel Orford Williams (The Wine Society)

 Margaret Rand (writer and editor)

 Nico Manessis (Regional chair for Greece) and Fiona Beckett (wine correspondent for The Guardian)

Nick Room (wine buyer for Waitrose) 

Peter Cobb (writer and doyen of the Port trade)

Photographer

Tom Stevenson (Regional chair for Alsace and Champagne)

Part of the downstairs@The Worx

Lincoln Siliakus is home

Lincoln Siliakus@2012 Salon des Vins de Loire

Australian-born wine writer, Lincoln Siliakus, is now back at his home in Sablet after being taken seriously ill at the beginning of March. Lincoln is perhaps best known for having ridden in 2009 a vintage Solex, the scooter that liberated at least a generation of French teenagers, from Chablis to Sablet in pursuit of greater understanding of terroir. See here.

Last weekend he was allowed home for the first time, now Lincoln has convinced the medics to allow him home full-time:  

'Hi dear friends and family,

Guess what? This is Lincoln here. I’m back at home. We convinced the folks at the convalescence home that I was in good hands at home, and they let me go. What could be better for recovery than Anne’s loving arms, the calm of home here in the vines, to see the colours changing in the evening, the growing moon, the stars, the croaking of the frogs? And the hammock on the sunny terrace.

What a couple of months it’s been! I’ll tell you more about it soon.

You have all been truly fantastic, with your messages of support and photos. The mattress with your photos pinned to it created a sensation in the Marseille hospital, with nurses and doctors crowding around to see the latest additions.

It’s been a tough time for Anne, who has had to continue working while running backwards and forwards (the trip to Marseille was particularly long) and organising all of the paperwork. Her innate communication skills came to the fore, as you all know! She has a week of holidays next week, so we are going to take things easy together.

All for now. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for your support and affection. It has made all the difference.'

Not quite Sablet but nearby Rasteau overlooked by the omni-present Mont Ventoux