Now in truth the grape never went away, it was really the fat oaky styles that we abandoned, says Leslie Williams.

The world of wine is a large place and columns like this I hope help distil it down to a manageable size.

The words “Vintage Wine” often conjure up a romantic vision of a delicious elixir “cooled a long age in the deep delved earth tasting of flora … and Provencal Song” as Keats put it.

The Lidl September French Wine sale has established itself on the calendar by now, and once again they have a number of stand-out wines and a few famous names.

It is no great revelation that our tastes in wine frequently change with time.

The June Bank Holiday weekend always feels like the beginning of summer even if the weather is often rather mixed.

The thing I love most about the Christmas meal is that for once I am not the only one fussing and worrying about what wine to serve. 

I have a nostalgic theme this week as I was reminded at recent tastings by how much our tastes have changed since I first became interested in wine.

I’m a little late focusing on the Rugby World Cup, but with the final group matches this weekend there will be a lot of tension around and you may need a glass of wine to calm your nerves.

The September French wine sales keep on coming and there are genuine bargains to be had if you keep your wits about you over the next few weeks.

The weather in the past month has been rather unpredictable but there have been enough warm days to convince me that it is time to write about summer wines. 

In my garden at the moment my plum and two apple trees are in full bloom and I am already anxiously anticipating a good crop of fruit.

THE summer’s wine highlight has come and gone.

IT ALL comes back to France. That country’s wine sales may have fallen dramatically in recent years, but it is still the benchmark producer for most grape varieties and wine styles.