Wine without the Snobbery January 7, 2025 JANUARY always feels a rather grim time to decide to go “dry”. I feel no reason to punish myself for enjoying the indulgences of festive season and besides, being a wine writer and consultant, I would be out of a job. I do however like to embrace the “damp lifestyle” and over the years have [...]
Inside London’s secret journalistic dining club December 17, 2024 Libby Brodie joins journalist Adam Hay-Nicholls at his London dining club – and had some very good wine This is the column that nearly didn’t happen. I often take wines with me when I travel and had packed a bottle of Mauricio Lorca Gran Reserva Malbec 2022 in my suitcase for a trip to the [...]
Wine Without The Snobbery December 17, 2024 THE festive season is expensive, but your wine can still deliver deliciousness without curtailing your Christmas spirit – it is simply a case of knowing where to look to find those affordable gems. Celebration means sparkling, but buying Champagne can be a little like paying for a Tiffany’s diamond, there is a cost tied up [...]
Whisky Business: Johnson Reserve’s record-breaking release December 12, 2024 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. Whisky has become one of the hottest assets in the world over the past decade, but as the financial returns have stacked up for investors, quality has, in some cases, fallen by the wayside. Crafting a memorable whisky takes skill and effort, more so [...]
Top kitchen essentials from steam generator irons to air fryers December 11, 2024 We’ve rounded up some of the best kitchen and home essentials that combine style, functionality, and efficiency. From powerful steam generator irons to versatile air fryers, sleek coffee machines, and innovative multi-functional gadgets, these top picks are designed to simplify your daily routine. Whether you’re tackling a pile of laundry, whipping up gourmet meals, or [...]
The Naked Truth December 11, 2024 Stefano di Blasi created some of Italy’s most iconic wines, such as Solaia and Megan Markle’s favourite, Tignanello. Now he makes his own wines for Naked in Italy’s beautiful Tuscany WHAT HAS TEAMING UP WITH NAKED WINES MEANT FOR YOU? I joined Naked Wines in 2013, and it completely changed my perspective on winemaking. Firstly, I was able [...]
Best wine gifts: From top bottles to wine gadgets December 10, 2024 It is a mere two weeks until Christmas and you have no idea what to get for a certain person in your life. Have no fear, I am here to suggest the best wine gifts for booze lovers. EXTON PARK CUVÉE M. ISAAC Presented in a stunning teal and gold box, this excellent English Blanc [...]
Christmas food shop: The pros give their top tips December 4, 2024 With less than a month to go, it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas food shop… Or is it? I spoke to some top chefs and restaurateurs about how they approach the most important meal of the year and asked them for their pro tips on making it one to remember (for the right [...]
Libby’s Naked Diary December 4, 2024 Scrooges stay away, Grinches get ye gone! I had heard that nowhere does Christmas time like Buckinghamshire’s Cliveden House, but this surpassed expectation. As a parent, Christmas can be all about the children, but stepping through the entrance’s stone pillars, wrapped in wreaths and fairy lights, to the hall’s enormous glittering tree, I felt that [...]
To find the soul of another country, head to the supermarket December 3, 2024 My favourite thing about travelling abroad isn’t the sun, the sand, nor the sea – it’s going to the local supermarket. Walking through the doors of a foreign grocery store is like passing through the looking glass into a place where everything is both familiar and alien, a fairground mirror that reflects a strange, distorted [...]