"A Red Chassagne Montrachet??"

A "Wine Appreciation I" paper describing the Burgundy wine region - its history, organisation and character. Includes a particularly clear and illustrated description of the region's confusing Appellation system.

May 2002   24 pages    Download as PDF (2.4M)

Douro - Land of Port and Promise

A "Sommelier I" level paper, describing the history of this region of Portugal, and recent promising developments.

Feb 2003   26 pages    Download as PDF file (800K)

Original water colour of the Douro valley by Janet Duggan. Download large version (480K)

Matching Wine and Food - The making of an Italian Treat

A "Food and Wine Matching" course paper, includes recipe for "Adult Pizza"

Nov 2002 5 pages Download as PDF file (162K)

Bringing it Back

Ever wondered how much wine you are allowed to bring back into Canada if you have more than your allowance, and how much you will pay? The answer’s quite complex, and it depends almost entirely on where you land. I wrote a whole article on the subject that was to have appeared in Vines magazine, but then the airlines banned liquids on board - so, end of article! However for those of you bold enough to pack it in your checked baggage, or coming back by land or sea, the whole article is reproduced here. Alternatively, click here to go to my dynamic spreadsheet where you can enter your cost and see all the answers.

March 2007 Four pages Download as PDF file (65K)

Where Oh Where is Carmenere?

This one's by Janet, a "Wine Appreciation I" paper on the Chilean speciality Carmenere.

Oct 2003 11 pages Download as PDF file (468K)

An Emerging Dynamique

Famous for its veritable lake of mass produced cooperative wines, the Languedoc is witnessing a resurgence of producers intent on restoring individuality and quality. The Coteaux du Languedoc region, inland from Montpelier, is home to many of these rising stars. Based on a month sojourn in Montpeyroux in March 2004, this paper by Girvan, and illustrated by Janet, reports on the exciting developments from this region.

Sept 2004 8 pages Download as PDF file (310K)