Dave March CWM

Dave March is an eternal student of wine and has the following to say about himself:

"Wine came to me relatively late in life so I am determined to make up for lost time. What stirred my interest in wine was living near Australia's Hunter Valley for a year. I remember relaxing in the shade with friends at Peterson's winery after a strenuous game of boules whilst demolishing much of their wine and thinking how nice it would be to be more involved with wine."

On return to the UK he took a Saturday job in a local wine shop to learn more. He signed up for wine courses and passed the WSET Diploma.

Dave loves travelling and spends all of his holidays in wine regions, from living in Australia for a year to visiting New Zealand, Spain and all of France and spending four consecutive summers in the Mosel!

"A decision had to be made, so here I am, living in this beautiful country, enjoying new friends and loving the wine experience. I became a Cape Wine Master in 2012, my dissertation looked at 'Wine Investment in South Africa'. I'm also writing and lecturing CWA Diploma students about what I love ... it doesn’t get much better."

To read more about Dave, visit his great review site : www.stellenboschwinereview.co.za

Hermitage; myth and reality

I had few preconceptions of Hermitage before I arrived. Like every wine lover I knew the image of the slopes surrounding the hermit’s chapel, and imagined idyllic Romanesque villages dotted at its feet. Time moves on and civilization sprawls, and wine lovers and wine producers are not always the most important people on the planet.

Dave March CWM

Some Famous International Wine Regions – and why you should go next door

Many wine regions around the world have become bucket-list destinations. Nearly every wine producing country has at least one region where the wines are very special, or the area is very beautiful, or the culture is unique or all three. They are usually the ones most visited. They are not always the best to visit, however, if you are a true wine lover. Consider the following vinous pilgrimages.