Learn about Wine
The ‘Whats’ of Reds
—Published on 26th June 2019.
Further to Robert Parker’s fantastic article introducing ‘The Three Ws of Wine‘, here Mr. Parker goes into a little greater detail exploring the ‘Whats’ of various red wines. Learn more at robertparker.com. Cabernet Franc What: Cabernet FrancColor: Dark ruby to purpleBody: MediumCharacter: Best used as a blending grape as it […]

The ‘Whats’ of Whites
—Published on 26th June 2019.
Further to Robert Parker’s fantastic article introducing ‘The Three Ws of Wine‘, here Mr. Parker goes into a little greater detail exploring the ‘Whats’ of various white wines. Learn more at robertparker.com. Chardonnay What: ChardonnayColor: Light gold to greenish light goldBody: Light to fullCharacter: Dry, creamy, oaky, richFlavors: Diverse, including […]

A Sophisticated Trini Wine
—Published on 20th November 2017.
More and more, Trinibagonians are discovering the wine experience. Compared to beer and rum, our traditional drinks of choice, decent wine is quite expensive. But we are, nonetheless, developing a fascination with variety and exploring finer options in the process.

A Potel Story in Burgundy
—Published on 20th November 2015.
First of all, my parents came in 1964, and they bought a part of the Duveault Blochet vineyard, 12 Hectares in Côtes de Beaune. Volnay, Pommard and Santenay. Then they bought the house in Volnay, with great cellars and winery. My father was a perfectionist, and he was a modern […]

A Glossary of Wine Terms
—Published on 5th October 2015.
acetic acidic acidity aftertaste aggressive angular aroma astringent austere backward balance barnyard berrylike big blackcurrant body Botrytis cinerea bouquet brawny briery brilliant browning carbonic maceration cedar chewy closed complex concentrated corked cuvée decadent deep delicate demi-muid diffuse double decanting dumb earthy elegant extract exuberant fat flabby fleshy floral focused forward […]

Why French Wines?
—Published on 5th October 2015.
Some of you may be asking the question: ‘Why did Cru start off with exclusively French wines?’ After all the Trinidad and Tobago market is largely a market for New World varietals—Argentine Malbec, Chilean Cabernet, Australian Shiraz, etc, etc. French wine seems almost a throwback to the past, before all […]

The Enigma of Burgundy
—Published on 5th October 2015.
I find it amazing that many Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lovers seem to have a problem with Burgundy. Why do I say that? Well, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from California, Oregon, Washington State, Chile, New Zealand and Australia sell very well yet Burgundies tend to sit on the shelf. Why […]

Tasting and Understanding Wine
—Published on 5th October 2015.
When one reads tasting notes from the likes of Robert Parker, James Molesworth, James Suckling or many of the professional wine tasters whose publications we can buy or subscribe to on the internet, it can be quite intimidating, even while oftentimes being reasonably accurate and informative. The ability to discern […]

Making Sense of Terroir
—Published on 5th October 2015.
“Knowing in part may make a fine tale,but wisdom comes from seeing the whole.”—Asian Proverb And so it is with the concept of ‘terroir’, that hazy, intellectually-appealing notion that a plot of soil plays the determining factor in a wine’s character. The French are the world’s most obsessed people regarding […]

How to Really Taste Wine
—Published on 5th October 2015.
1. Complexity The single greatest standard used in assessing the quality of a wine is complexity. The more times you can return to a glass of wine and find something different in it—in the bouquet, in the taste—the more complex the wine. The very greatest wines are not so much […]

The Three Ws of Wine
—Published on 3rd October 2015.
Robert Parker is one of the most knowledgeable and influential wine critics in the world. Here’s a piece from his website, erobertparker.com, that I find very useful and educational. I would encourage anyone serious about learning more about wine to subscribe to his site and also purchase his wine guides. […]
