Pleased to hear that.

That’s incredibly sad.

Where did you hear this, please? Enormously sad if correct.

After a run of challenging years, South Africa is completing one of its greatest ever vintages. BUT. @timatkinmw.bsky.social makes important points about financial sustainability and transformation.harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3...

I think they often do.

I’m envious!

It’s on Spotify.

📌 @timatkinmw.bsky.social regresa a nuestro país y celebra 15 años de degustaciones. El Master of Wine y crítico británico llega mañana a Argentina 🇦🇷, donde recorrerá más de 50 bodegas en sus 25 días de estadía y degustará un total de 1200 vinos. 📲 Leer: www.winesofargentina.org/es/single-ne...

My latest podcast is with Felicity Carter, an expert on health and alcohol policy. We chatted about the French paradox, the j-shaped curve, the WHO, Prohibition, safe drinking levels, Big Tobacco and good and bad science. #corktalk in association with Amorim. timatkin.com/cork-talk/co...

I am proud to publish Christy Canterbury MW’s fourth Burgundy Special Report. At 214 pages, it’s her most comprehensive overview. Over the space of a month, Christy tasted 2,225 wines from the “immediately appealing” 2023 vintage, making her report essential reading.
£20 to download from my site.

My latest #podcast, with Australian legend John Duval of @johnduvalwines, is live. #corktalk in association with @amorimcork. timatkin.com/cork-talk/co...

Exactly. This sort of nonsense gave us Brexit. Liz Truss is a quarter wit.

The wine trade is facing a number of challenges right now, not least from neo-Prohibitionists. But it has dealt with crises in the past, argues Andy Neather, and has proved itself to be both creative and adaptable. There are reasons for optimism. timatkin.com/reasons-to-b...

My latest column for @timatkinmw.bsky.social: in a Dry January with plenty of bad news for the wine industry (neo-prohibitionists running amok etc), there are still good reasons to be cheerful: wine retains its innate ability to surprise and delight timatkin.com/reasons-to-b...

End charity tax breaks for dark money donations | Good Law Project Charities get generous tax breaks – even for anonymous donations. But shouldn’t we know who they’re working for?

Seems to me as though, as a quid pro quo for wealthy donors getting a public subsidy for their donations, they should declare who they are. No transparency - no subsidy. goodlawproject.org/end-charity-...

Pioneers don't always get things right. Who does? But the people who make the right brave choices, pushing boundaries and challenging received wisdom, enrich the wine world, argues Margaret Rand. Photo by Zybnek Popisil. timatkin.com/a-different-...

My latest podcast, with the amazing Jen Parr of @valliwine, is live. Cork Talk in association with @amorimcork. timatkin.com/category/pod...

I’ve got way too much!

Yes! I’d also recommend Four Iron in the Soul.

Loving this William Hill Award-winning book about life as a journeyman tennis pro. Highly recommended.

I know what you mean!

Have wine merchants lost touch with their customers? Are they averse to innovation? For all their past achievements, Sara Danese argues that they need to adapt to the new consumer landscape or risk irrelevance. timatkin.com/what-have-wi...

Happy New Year

Tim Atkin, Máster of Wine: «En Rías Baixas no hay falta de diversidad ni de talento» El prestigioso periodista británico alaba, en su último articulo sobre esta denominación de origen, las cualidades de la uva albariña para hacer grandes vinos de guarda

www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/somo...

And what is your take? To publish meaningless marketing pyramids? Who does that connect with?

I don’t think we’re keeping anything “elitist”, whatever that means. We’ve moved a long way from my original premise. Wine is complex if you want it to be, but also very simple. It’s not an either/or. It’s both. Career suicide? Don’t make me laugh.

True enough. Wine writers - including things like Food and Drink - had a much greater influence 20 years ago. They still help to “legitimise” certain wine styles. Australia wouldn’t have happened in the way it did without wine writers. And “interested consumers” help to drive change and innovation.

That’s not what I meant. Wine writers influence consumer behaviour and the prices people are willing to pay. It’s not the only factor, but to argue that the market is “autonomous” is absurd. We can influence what people buy to a degree.