NOBLE ROT ISSUE 40 // WINE JOURNAL
Issue 40 - The Wine Traveller's Guide to Getting It Right
Published 4th of March 2026
In this issue...
our man in New York, Levi Dalton, explains when not to visit wine regions, revealing how arriving at the wrong moment can distort your experience of young wines and quietly sabotage tastings before you realise what's happening. He decodes the rhythms of the cellar, argues for visiting Burgundy in November rather than June ("a rookie mistake"), and shares insider intelligence — from Santorini's grape harvest colliding disastrously with peak tourist season, to the joys of Piemonte's porcini season. Along the way, top winemakers, restaurateurs and critics reveal their favourite local places to eat and drink.
Elsewhere, Simon J Woolf offers survival strategies for the awful wines served on long-haul flights, white Alice Feiring reveals the lengths she'd go to secure a decent glass in a restaurant cursed with a truly terrible wine list.
Talking of good timing, it's given us Nebuchadnezzars of pleasure to see Pulp return with a new number-one album and one of last year's genuinely great singles, Spike Island. Which makes it a particular delight to welcome Jarvis Cocker as this issue's very special interviewee. That he arrived at Noble Rot Mayfair amid rumours of having no intention of drinking was an intriguing beginning — one that, happily, did not last long. This is another vintage Rotter Towers extended-lunch interview.
Also in this issue…
... Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession, writes about the cheese sandwich he considers his Greatest Meal.
Marina O'Loughlin meets the chefs behind Fallow, who have built one of the UK's most successful hospitality operations — and 1.4 million Instagram followers — from scratch.
Dan Keeling attends a tasting of Burgundy's Clos de Tart spanning 136 years, and reviews what may be the greatest-value red appellation in the world: Langhe Nebbiolo.
Diana Henry dishes the dirt on choosing the right restaurant for famous guests, drawing on her former life as a TV researcher.
Brian McGinn, co-creator of Chef's Table, explains why it's extremely unlikely he'll ever commission a wine version.
Plus stories and recipes celebrating Autogrill, breakfast drinking, choucroute garnie à l'asacienne, and how authentic Indian food is finally having its moment in New York City — among much more.
SHIPPING & DELIVERY POLICY
Buyer Must be 21 to Purchase Alcohol
WINE DELIVERY WITHIN THE CINCINNATI AREA
We do our best to have all orders placed BEFORE NOON delivered SAME DAY. All orders placed after noon, will be delivered the next day. Cincinnati orders over $150 in certain areas will receive FREE DELIVERY. Delivery distances defined by zip codes. See delivery zones below.
*If you wish to select local delivery at checkout please first select shipping and then enter your desired address. If your delivery address falls within our delivery zones you will then be able to select local delivery.
DELIVERY ZONE 1 ( FREE DELIVERY OVER $150 OTHERWISE $10 ) :
45111 - 45147 - 45174 - 45202 - 45203 - 45204 - 45205 - 45206 - 45207 - 45208 - 45209 - 45211 - 45212 - 45213 - 45214 - 45215 - 45216 - 45217 - 45218 - 45219 - 45220 - 45221 - 45223 - 45224 -45225 - 45226 - 45227 - 45229 - 45231 - 45232 - 45236 - 45237 - 45238 - 45239 - 45241 - 45242 - 45243 - 45244
DELIVERY ZONE 2 ( $10 DELIVERY ) :
45011 - 45014 - 45039 - 45040 - 45051 - 45069 - 45122 - 45140 - 45150 - 45230 - 45233 - 45240 - 45245 - 45246 - 45247 - 45248 - 45249 - 45250 - 45251 - 45252 – 45255
WINE SHIPPING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
Hart & Cru is happy to engage the services of a common carrier on behalf of you/the customer. However, upon purchase, ownership of and title to all alcoholic beverages passes from Hart & Cru to you/the buyer in the State of Ohio. In the case of shipments outside of Ohio, the sole responsibility for complying with local regulations lies with the customer. By placing an order on this site and selecting shipping, you authorize Hart & Cru to act on your behalf to engage a common carrier to deliver your order to you.
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