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




Wednesday 31 December 2014

Fotos: lookin' back@2014 (part 1)

 Millesimé Bio@Montpellier – 
innovation of the year: chien de dégustation

 Alastair Marshall and Robert Chase: 
Adnams veteran duo @MillésimeBio

 Quizzical Robert

 L'homme des amphores: 
Fred Niger Van Herck as Aristide Bruant 

Emmanuel Giboulot@Renaissance tasting, Angers

 Arnaud Bourgeois@Salon des Vins de Loire
Henri Bourgeois will not be at the 2015 Salon

March: visit to Saint Chinian – Thierry Navarre

 March: Olivier Cousin: another cause célèbre
Long drawn out case with Olivier as 
winner, although prosecution is appealing.
Olivier leaving court with his daughter



 Vincent Cuisinier de Campagne@Tours for annual Bourgueil 
invasion cooking lentils in Bourgueil 
Bourgueil invade Tours: chef with freshly cooked rillons

Bourgueil à Tours: Gillette would never 
have made a fortune with this trio!

March: sheep cropping a vineyard in the Côte Roannaise
part of my excellent visit to the Côte Roannaise/Côtes de Forez

 March 2014: municipal elections in France 
– the unopposed slate of candidates for Epeigné-les-Bois

 Christian Percevault: the new Maire of Epeigné-les-Bois
Christian replaced Michel Mergot who became the Premier Maire Adjoint

The new Conseil@Epeigné-les-Bois

3rd April: early budburst in Savennières
Leading to fears of an April frost 
fortunately that didn't happen

Part 2 of fotos lookin' back@2014

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Badenoch: last of the snowy sunsets for a while...


Photos from yesterday between Aviemore and Newtonmore on the last day of the recent cold spell. Photos taken from a moving car during the approach of dusk. Overnight it has thawed the ice and snow at lower levels gone and much reduced on the hills.

Frozen over Loch Alvie looking westwards 

 Icy trees


Traffic on the A9 

Trees near Kincraig
(above and below)


Horses and trees in the gathering gloom
near Kincraig


Looking southwards towards Dalwhinnie



Monday 29 December 2014

Some recent Highland views

 Cairngorm from the A9 near Kingussie 


 Sheepish views in the Spey Valley – brilliant 
light today just east of Grantown-on-Spey
(above and below)






 Three from Newtonmmore 
(above and below)

 Tree in a window


Hill turning pink in sunset

Steamin' towards 2015...

EV Cooper Engineer engine uncoupled for return to Aviemore
just beyond Broomhill station

 Carriages waiting for the engine to return

 Moment of uncoupling
(above and below)


 Driver's mate starting trek back to far end of the train
 – figure by middle large wheel

 Getting up steam again