Fabulous! Pop these bottles this World Champagne Day Life&Style A day worth celebrating, 24th October is World Champagne Day, as if anyone needs an excuse to pop a bottle! Hundreds of years ago the wine in Champagne was still and pinky-red – a world away from what we associate with the region now. Bubbles were considered a fault, exploding the weaker bottles made for [...]
South American wine is booming – try these bottles for the best experience Life&Style South American wine is booming for us Brits. An Argentinian Malbec has long been a gateway, converting consumers with broodingly smooth glasses of dark fruits and spice at a good price. Last year the UK overtook China as the largest importer (by value) of Chilean wine with their lithe Sauvignon Blancs and traditional Carmère. Even [...]
Interlaken: A super summer in the Swiss mountains Life&Style Keep this a secret, but Switzerland is pretty great for skiing. Keep this even further buried beneath your hat, but it’s excellent in the summertime, too. Lush green meadows carpeted with spring wildflowers, the Swiss Alps awaken to a new season ripe for exploring when the poles and goggles are put away. Case in point: Interlaken. Postcard [...]
Fathers Day gifts for wine loving dads June 9, 2025 In general, I am against the gendering of beverages. These days it seems a little embarrassing to pigeon-hole prosecco for hen dos and cognac for city boys. Jon Bon Jovi has a rosé, Hampton Water and the World Whiskies Awards 2025 honoured Stephanie Macleod as Master Blender of the Year. Let us be clear: everyone [...]
Here’s what to look for when buying Provence Rosé April 28, 2025 We all know what those first glimpses of warm sunshine mean for us Brits. Suddenly the green spaces of London are filled with pasty, sun-craving bodies jostling elbow-to-elbow for a hit of vitamin D. Pubs and cafes fortunate enough to reside on the sunny side of the street overflow come lunchtime. Rosé season is upon [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines Diary: How to celebrate Steak Day right April 24, 2025 Steak. Our nation loves it. So much so that Tesco reported searches for ‘Wagyu” have gone up 87 per cent since last year on tesco.com. With its prestige and price, when it comes to cuts of meat, this is essentially the Grand Cru of beef. Taking this as a call to action, Tesco has launched [...]
Welsh wine is no April Fools joke – and it’s delicious April 1, 2025 Firstly, I promise this isn’t an April Fool. Welsh wine is a real thing. Historically of course, they have always liked a drink. Welsh bards, poets and wordsmiths have dedicated their talent to the power and beauty of wine. As far back at the 6th century there are references to mead being drunk by warriors [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines diary: why South African wine still wins March 19, 2025 This week our Naked Wines columnist Libby Brodie touches down for a wine adventure in South Africa Even as someone who tours wine estates around the world for my job, rarely have I visited one on the same jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, gob-smacking scale as South Africa’s Vergelegen Wine Estate. The Western Cape of South Africa already [...]
International Women’s Day: The future of women in wine March 3, 2025 This International Women’s Day, I caught up with Queena Wong, a wine enthusiast who is helping to reshape the industry for the better Queena Wong has become a controversial character in wine after spearheading the first UK Women in Wine Survey. According to marketing research agency PROOF Insight, 78 per cent of the women who [...]
Why Tasmania is Australia’s overlooked wine destination February 26, 2025 It was only four years ago I was served a glass of House of Arras, an exceptional sparkling wine, full of crystalline precision and refined fizz. I was surprised to hear it was from Tasmania. Before then, I knew very little about wines from this region. London is the most exciting marketplace for wine in [...]