Unlike most other wine blogs, this site is made up solely of wine reviews. If you are hoping that these will be leavened by articles about my holidays, my sex life or my preferred brand of roof insulation, you will be disappointed. A review may touch upon any of these topics - wine is, after all, a part of life - but it will not stray far from its true subject. The internet contains a great many potpourri wine blogs. I do not think we need one more.

The wines reviewed here have only one thing in common: I like them. To find out how much I like them you will have to read the reviews. I do not award points or stars. The 100 point-system preferred in the US seems to me a form of charlatanry. It implies precision and objectivity where neither is possible. The human palate cannot tell an 87-point wine from an 88-point wine, and to pretend otherwise is humbug. The four or five-star systems used in Europe are more honest but still open to challenge. Many four-star wines seem worth only three. Sometimes it is the other way round. The only system I find reasonably trustworthy is the three-glass method, one glass meaning “good”, two “very good”, three “outstanding”. But on the whole, words serve better than numbers.

In each review I offer some indication of how much the wine costs. My figures are for guidance only. In the US and UK, where wine retailers compete vigorously, there are great bargains to be had. A wine may cost only two-thirds of the price given here. Matters are more complicated if you live in continental Europe, particularly in a wine-producing country. There too you may well pay less, if the wine is local. But if, say, you are buying French wine in Italy, you should expect to pay considerably more, perhaps even twice as much. And that is if you can find the wine in question. Whatever the European Union may claim for itself, most of its members do not tolerate outside competition. Producers tend to be protectionists, consumers chauvinists and retailers bandits. This state of affairs is unlikely to change soon. But even in this consumer inferno you can find reasonably priced foreign wines if you make the effort.

How trustworthy are my reviews? You must decide for yourself. All I can say is that most people I serve wine to approve of my choices, and that friends often seek my advice. Like anyone else I have preferences and prejudices, and this blog reflects both. You will find more reds than whites here, and no rosé. You will find more Pinot Noir than Cabernet Sauvignon. And of course I have no way of compensating for your preferences. If you are one of those sorry people who think Gewürztraminer tastes like turpentine, nothing I can write will persuade you to try another one. But I do not think this is a serious problem.

There is also the question of impartiality. As you can see, this blog carries advertising. I am also happy to accept free samples in any quantity and from any source. (For more details, write here. ) You may feel these things make me a whore. I cheerfully plead guilty. My only defence is that I am a whore with a palate. No wine will be reviewed here unless I enjoy it. That is my only standard, and I shall stick to it rigidly.