While rare, encountering a "faulty" bottle can be disappointing. Knowing how to identify common wine faults empowers you to understand what you're tasting (or smelling!) and helps you appreciate the many perfect bottles even more. It's not about being a critic, but about being an informed enthusiast!

The Traditional Method, known in France as Méthode Champenoise, is the gold standard for producing fine sparkling wine. It's a labour of love, involving a complex process that gives the wine its delicate bubbles, creamy texture, and incredible complexity.

Beyond simply enjoying a glass with your meal, thoughtful pairing can elevate both the food and the wine, creating a symphony of flavours that's greater than the sum of its parts. It's not about strict rules, but rather understanding a few guiding principles to unlock incredible taste sensations.

You might often hear us talk about classic grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Riesling. But did you know that within each of these varieties, there exists a diverse world of "clones"?

If you've ever read tasting notes like “silky tannins”, “juicy acidity”, or “dried red fruits” and thought, what does that actually taste like? — you’re not alone.

To conclude our winemaking series, we move from preparing the grapes to creating the final product!

After the vineyard team has completed the harvest, the winery takes over. This is where those meticulously cared-for grapes are turned into delicious wine.

You can make great wine from great grapes, but you can't make great wine from terrible grapes. Harvest time is when all the hard work in the vineyard comes to fruition, and the next vintage begins!

The world of wine can feel overwhelming, but understanding the basics of how it's made can make every glass a little more meaningful. This month, we're providing a brief roadmap of the winemaking process, with a look at some of the techniques we use here at Pooley Wines. We'll dive deeper into each step in the coming months, but for now, let’s start with the big picture.

We often talk about the wines we love, but life is all about balance—light and dark, sun and shade, red and white. While it's great to build a cellar that reflects your personal preferences, it's also important not to get stuck only collecting your go-to wines.

Developing a truly great cellar means considering a variety of factors, from your changing palate to the joy of sharing.

We've all heard the phrase, "ageing like a fine wine," but what does that really mean? The truth is, not all wines are made to age, and a lot of factors determine if a bottle will actually get better with time.

The ability of a wine to age depends on a combination of its own intrinsic qualities, the winemaker's skill, and how it's stored. Understanding these elements can help you choose the right wines for your cellar and enjoy them at their peak.

We often talk about oak, and you might hear a lot of terms thrown around—new versus old, French versus American, barriques and puncheons. What do they all mean, and more importantly, what difference does oak actually make to your wine?