Tom Cannavan's Wine Pages

Tom Cannavan has published his Wine Pages site since 1996, since when it has become globally recognised as one of the very best. It has continually proved itself since its inception, and has grown to become an enormously impressive web destination for the wine lover. The site has a clean and simple design, gives reliable information and of course, upholds its strict policy of daily updates. Where else can you find that?


The site has literally thousands of pages of information; 5000 tasting notes; minutely detailed articles on all the world's most important wine regions (complete with maps, recommended wines and producers); a friendly and thriving UK discussion group; a complete illustrated wine course and free monthly prize competitions. But it is the sheer breadth of the coverage and the author's expertise that sets this site apart from the pack.


As well as his obvious knowledge, Tom brings to the site tremendous enthusiasm and a wonderfully down-to-earth style. You cannot help but be touched by his passion for the subject.


SPECIAL FEATURES

Tasting notes provide possibly the largest collection of tasting notes from a single palate on the Web. Everything is here, from rare and outlandishly expensive old clarets, to a host of affordable wines obtainable on the UK high street. Tasting notes are divided into Notes from Organised Tastings, Notes from Restaurants and Notes from My Cellar, the latter further sub-divided into world regions. Most of these come complete with a label image and advice on when to drink. Each review is dated. And the standard is extremely high and consistent.


Wine of the Week is published each weekend and features a moderately-priced wine that has particularly impressed. Every Wine of the Week has a label image, as well as UK prices and stockists. These weekly bottles have built into a wonderful back-catalogue of everyday wine recommendations which can be printed off as a very useful shopping list. You'll find the past Wines of the Week archived under the heading Cheapies.


Course is the introduction to wine appreciation that Tom teaches both privately and at the University of Glasgow. Here, you can access all the course notes for free. These clear introductions, complete with illustrations, form one of the most comprehensive educational resources on the Web. Just one of the many interactive features to be found on the site is a collection of Quizzes. These can be used to test your knowledge having completed the course, or just for the fun of it.


Regions Introductory articles on all the world's most important wine regions. Each is minutely detailed, and comes complete with a map, photographs and illustrations. A list of recommended wines and producers is also included.


Food and Wine is an extensive collection of articles culled from one of Tom's terrestrial magazine columns. Each takes a food topic in turn, Wine with Cheese for example, and discusses general wine matching options, as well as recommending half a dozen specific wines, UK prices and stockists are quoted.


Wine News pertains specifically to UK visitors. It lists public tasting events, wine sales and other items of interest across Britain. Typical items are a diary of tsting events and Tom's tips for the best bargains in current supermarket promotions.


The UK Forum is the meeting place for a friendly, but very knowledgable set of wine lovers looking to discuss their favourite subject from a UK viewpoint. The standard of debate here is high, and conducted in a civil manner.


Books contains a selection of several dozen wine books, each reviewed in depth and rated. All books have a photograph of the jacket, as well as the price, ISBN number and a direct link to an on-line seller of the book, if available.


Dining encompasses Cannavan's other passion. Here are full reviews of scores of UK restaurants he sees fit to recommend. The descriptions are as entertaining as they are useful. This is another section that could be printed off and used very easily as a reference guide. There are also a couple of dozen restaurants visited on Tom's world-wide travels.


Visitor's Tips Worldwide visitors send in their own recommendations for reasonably priced wines they have enjoyed. Though most reviews are British, they come from places as far afield as Australia, Canada and even Puerto Rico! Each has a tasting note, local stockists and prices. Visitors' Tips seem to be added very regularly.


Travel is a small collection of guides to touring the world's wine regions. Though these are few in number, they are packed with useful information and addresses, as well as being entertaining reads in their own right.


Tasting Notes is an archive of several hundred notes supplied by Forum members, and harvested from on-line discussions.


Who's Who offer autobiographical profiles of your fellow surfers, and you may add your own if you intend to contribute.


OTHER FEATURES


Vintage Chart Courtesy of American wine writer Robert Parker. Wines are awarded marks out of 100 for quality, for vintages dating back to 1970.


Wine Online Links to a selection of the author's favourite sites, including personal sites,UK wine merchants and a couple of his favourite sites that have nothing to do with wine at all.


About Me Short biography of the author.


Press Extensive mantelpiece collection of glowing press reviews and web awards.