Andrew Jefford's articles
The scoring scene
Now that the 100-point scale approaches ubiquity, and now that we are fully into the post-Parker era in which a multiplicity of scores and scorers joust and jostle for the attention of drinkers, it’s time to review the scoring scene.
Comment: ‘Non-interventionism should not mean non-winemaking’
When, a decade and a half ago, I wrote The New France, I found myself repeatedly using one phrase in chapter after chapter: ‘non-interventionism’. Which was strange: it has no French equivalent. I wouldn’t even know how to translate it into French.
Grapevine trunk disease – the ‘next phylloxera’
Andrew Jefford reports from the vineyard front line in the battle against the 'ever-worsening' problem of grapevine trunk disease.
Tenants and sharecroppers
Andrew Jefford explains a secret of French vineyard ownership.
Priorat in-depth and great reds to try
With its isolated mountain vineyards and arid summers, Priorat is an area for extreme winemaking. Andrew Jefford meets the producers searching for balance and regional character in this demanding corner of Spain.
‘2017 must be one of the most disaster-strewn years since phylloxera’
As you read this, the vine-pruners of the northern hemisphere will be finishing their lonely winter’s work. The sap will soon rise and the pruning cuts weep – and a new year will be underway. What horrors await for 2018?
'We tasted, against “control” magnums buried alongside the casks’
It was like a funeral – in reverse. A curious crowd stood around the giant pit. Below us, picks were flying. First one remnant appeared in the earth, then another...
Trouble with bottles
Andrew Jefford weighs up an alternative to glass...
Alcohol labelling – taste first, then look
Andrew Jefford suggests we’re getting it wrong about alcohol – with disastrous consequences.
The good and the right
Andrew Jefford considers the significance of comfort zones in wine appreciation.