@svthorpe
All my latest jottings on wine, food and a few other things
Check out my site: First Press
Check out my site: First Press
Explore the world of wine, discovering the people and places that make every bottle so different.
Latest features
Reyneke’s re-launched Cornerstone Range: can it pay to do good?
Reyneke’s re-launched Cornerstone Range: can it pay to do good?
Johan Reyneke has spent two decades proving that winemaking can be a force for social change in South Africa. Now, with a reimagined Cornerstone range, and with a radical new value chain model developed with University of Cape Town and Harvard, he's looking to push this vision even further and challenge structural poverty. Sophie Thorpe sat down with the philosopher-turned-winemaker to find out more.
Books etc: June 2026 – Pressing Matters by Alan Ramey
Books etc: June 2026 – Pressing Matters by Alan Ramey
Regular reviewer Sophie Thorpe enjoys diving into a new book, Pressing Matters, that sets out to explore wine world debates, controversies and mysteries.
What to buy from The Wine Society this summer
What to buy from The Wine Society this summer
From a Lanzarote white to sparkling kombucha and a must-buy bag-in-box, here are the stand-out buys from The Wine Society's spring/summer range
Bourgogne Passetoutgrains - the affordable Burgundy you should be snapping up
Bourgogne Passetoutgrains - the affordable Burgundy you should be snapping up
Often dismissed as the poor cousin of Burgundy's pure Pinot Noirs, Sophie Thorpe argues that the old Passetoutgrains with its little dash of Gamay is a joyful and refreshing style finding a new lease of life.
Books etc: May 2026 - The Look of Wine: Reading Wine Color
Books etc: May 2026 - The Look of Wine: Reading Wine Color
Decanter's regular reviewer enjoys the beautiful photography in new book 'The Look of Wine', but remains unconvinced by its central argument...
Mature Bordeaux to drink now: 22 wines to try
Mature Bordeaux to drink now: 22 wines to try
Amid the en primeur frenzy, it's worth revisiting Bordeaux vintages that are drinking well now, to remind yourself why it may be worth investing in some 2025s.
Books etc: April 2026 - Japanese Wine review
Books etc: April 2026 - Japanese Wine review
After delving into the world sake last month, our regular reviewer is pleasantly surprised by a self-published book on the wines of Japan.
The 2026 Hot Crosss Bun Hunt
The 2026 Hot Crosss Bun Hunt
Your most discerning taste-tester puts London's hot cross buns through their paces – hunting down the city's best, rating each one that is tasted
25 years of Hyde de Villaine
25 years of Hyde de Villaine
It’s a quarter-century since Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's Aubert de Villaine joined forces with the Hyde family in Carneros to create the joint venture that is Hyde de Villaine. Sophie Thorpe reports on an anniversary tasting of the estate's HdV Chardonnay, hosted by exclusive UK agent Corney & Barrow, and hears from both de Villaine and winemaker Guillaume Boudet about how these wines are Californian but made with a Burgundian philosophy.
Best books on sake: A virtual tour of Japan’s national drink | Decanter
Best books on sake: A virtual tour of Japan’s national drink | Decanter
Decanter's regular reviewer takes a virtual tour of Japan with these great books on sake, spanning the art, culture and history of a national institution.
The rise of mid-strength wine
The rise of mid-strength wine
Mid-strength wine is enjoying a boom in popularity. Sophie Thorpe speaks to a new wave of independent brands pushing the category forwards
Burgundy 2024 en primeur
Burgundy 2024 en primeur
Wet, wet, wet and yet…
Looking back: the best of 2025
Looking back: the best of 2025
Reflecting on the year gone-by – and the 10 best bottles I tasted
Books: nine of my all-time favourites
Books: nine of my all-time favourites
From absorbing reads to enjoy with a glass in-hand to eleventh-hour present ideas, Decanter's regular book reviewer, Sophie Thorpe, has got you covered with these essential, entertaining wine books.
Me on a podcast: Ep. 2560 Sophie Thorpe’s Wine Books of 2025 | Book Club with Richard Hough - Italian Wine Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
Podcast
·
Podcast
Me on a podcast: Ep. 2560 Sophie Thorpe’s Wine Books of 2025 | Book Club with Richard Hough - Italian Wine Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
Italian Wine Podcast · Episode
Books: Smart Mouth and Drinking the World
Books: Smart Mouth and Drinking the World
Our regular reviewer enjoys two new books by sommeliers of ‘serious class’.
Books: one I really didn't like
Books: one I really didn't like
Our regular reviewer finds Assouline’s latest coffee-table offering heavy on style but light on substance.
Exploring Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne and Corton Blanc
Exploring Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne and Corton Blanc
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