The Purple Pages digest – May

MAY delivered yet another bouncing baby of wine love here on JancisRobinson.com. The midwifery team of Jancis, Julia, Richard, Michael, Ferran, Walter, Alex, Nick and Alder all had a hand in its delivery, and here are some highlights from them:

• Jancis getting excited about 2011 vintage port, including tasting notes (now free) and more than 60 current grower champagnes
• Two articles from our new Spanish correspondent: Ferran introduces himself and Spain – glasses not even half full (now free)
• Michael's tasting notes on 2012 Rieslings from the Pfalz and the Mosel ...
• ... and extensive tasting articles from elsewhere in the world:
• A huge compendium of the best wines under £10
• A flurry of Pinot Noirs from Bergström in Oregon, Seresin in Marlborough and Farr in Geelong
• Walter on Montalcino's Campi di Fonterenza
• Julia on South Africa's next generation and NZ's Waiheke
• Jancis on Bordeaux 2009s (some affordable) 
• Richard on Alsace Riesling and En Rama sherry
• Alex declaring his membership of the cassette generation and analysing the language of taste
• Alder saluting the power of Twitter in Wine in 140 characters or less
• Richard's final MW Diary ... for a while at least
• Nick on a Bolivian restaurant he hasn't visited ... yet, and some new openings in London's Mayfair

JUNE is set to bring another fine tranche of the web's best wine writing, including:

• The best – and worst – rosés 
• A mini-series on the recently revived Mamertino denomination in Sicily
• Grande marque champagnes tasted blind 
• The rest of Michael's notes on German 2012s from top producers 
• A feast of Jura wines
• South America's best wines tasted blind
• An overview and producer profiles from NZ's Waipara region 
• How the FBI is being trained to spot fake wine
  

FROM THE ARCHIVE - here are the finest cuts from JancisRobinson.com back in May 2003:

• An obituary for UK wine retailer Oddbins (which has since been revived, died again and been revived once more!)
• A truly historic look at whether smoking in British restaurants should be banned, courtesy of Nick
• An account of when Antinori abandoned Chianti Classico that makes interesting reading in the light of Chianti's current dilemmas

... and don't forget to find out what's on near you in the world of wine, by using our events diary. This June is decidedly London-centric – we will endeavour to widen the net in future. Here are a few selections:

• The WSET's comparative tasting of left-bank grand cru classés in London
• A walk-around tasting of Western Australia's finest, at London's Australia House
• Two New Zealand-themed wine dinners hosted by me, Richard, in Chelsea and Kingston-Upon-Thames
• Domaine de Chevalier back to 1982, in Fulham, London