I haven’t had the chance to drink much French wine until recently. A group of friends and I have got together to try French wines in preparation for the WSET Diploma unit 3 on still wines. In this piece, I reflect on some of the…
Ben Franks FRSA
1 Min Read
I had to capture the tasting note for this wine as I enjoyed one of the last bottles of this vintage. The Leszner single vineyard is due to be turfed up and replaced in 2019/20, so this ’17 and the upcoming 2018 are the last…
Ben Franks FRSA
1 Min Read
Quick post recording the tasting notes of four wines, tasted for The Wine Merchant magazine in June 2020. NV, Weingut Schwarzbock Riesling Sekt ★★☆ – Bright nose of candied lime and yoghurt cream. It has matured for 24 months on its lees. Zingy palate, lots…
Ben Franks FRSA
4 Min Read
Spätburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir, the black grape made famous by Burgundy but also regarded as the crème de la crème of black grape varieties in Germany for quality winemaking. The name translates as Spät (late ripening) burgunder (Pinot). Similarly, you’ll find…
Ben Franks FRSA
5 Min Read
I regularly vent to my other half about how boring it is to watch people drink wine. And then I go and make a video for Novel Wines where I drink some wine. OK, I’m a hypocrite then, but isn’t it so boring watching other…
Ben Franks FRSA
6 Min Read
Hold on tight, here we go again! OK, I’ll admit it, I have a short attention span. When it comes to food and drink, I can’t pinpoint whether it’s curiosity or boredom but I will jump around and try new things like it’s a drug…
Ben Franks FRSA
5 Min Read
Georgia: the birth place of wine? The Armenians might contend the title, but Georgia is certainly one of oldest wine-making regions in the world. Throughout history, the people of Georgia have consistently produced wines uninterrupted- throughout wars, occupations, political shifts and cultural change. It is,…
Ben Franks FRSA
1 Min Read
Looking for a glass of something great? Here’s Ben’s list of his favourite places to buy wine online during lockdown. If you’d like to be on this list, please contact Ben. We only add our favourite merchants, so Ben will buy some wines from you…
Ben Franks FRSA
2 Min Read
I want to talk about pairing wine. Pairing it with food, arts like music or books, or pairing wine to an occasion. Here’s what winds me up There’s a seesaw effect with a saturation on both sides: countless articles listing the best pairings for certain…
Ben Franks FRSA
2 Min Read
Recently I wrote about three white grapes I think you should try and I realise while doing so I was sipping a glass of red. In much the same vein, in my capacity as buyer for Novel Wines, I come across lots of weird and…