How to celebrate International Viognier Day in style April 30, 2021 It’s the 30 April, which may as well be my birthday, as it’s the international celebration of one of my favourite types of wine – Viognier. And it is a Friday, so let us all raise a glass to this aromatic, romantic grape. It’s like it knew it was the start of the weekend. Viognier [...]
How to pick the perfect wine to suit your tastes April 23, 2021 We have all been there. Staring down the barrel of the supermarket aisle trying to work out which wine to choose for dinner. Do you reach for the “reassuringly expensive” top shelf or look for what is currently on offer to grab yourself a bargain? You may have a better-made wine or a steal of [...]
The best of wine tourism within day-trip distance of London April 15, 2021 The warm sun on my back, I sip a delicious glass of wine looking across a sweeping vista of vines with the rolling green countryside stretched out before me towards – yes, could that possibly be? – the distant sparkle of the sea and a blue-sky horizon. Have I thrown lockdown travel precautions to the [...]
How to Navigate restaurant wine lists post-lockdown April 11, 2021 It’s happening. Things are shifting. Spring is in the air and soon restaurant terraces will be open for business and shortly after that (please oh please) inside restaurants too. I am among the thousands who are chomping at the bit to see friends and loved ones over a plate of linguine and a nice glass of [...]
Why reports of Soho’s death have been greatly exaggerated March 28, 2019 When Casanova arrived in London in 1763, Soho was his first port of call. It was a place riddled with opium dens and brothels and coffee houses and restaurants, the place you went for cheap rent, good food, great drugs and the best parties. It’s been the go-to place for hedonists and sybarites ever since, [...]
The British love affair with Bordeaux is here to stay September 26, 2015 The UK has traditionally been a nation of claret-lovers, dating as far back as the 12th century when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet. Eager to please his French subjects, King Henry II decreed that any ship sailing from Bordeaux would be exempt from export tax. By the 14th century, England, Scotland and Ireland were [...]
Lessons in wine: A leisurely stroll through the sublime Medoc region September 22, 2015 Those who love Bordeaux will know that the Left Bank is Cabernet Sauvignon territory while the Right Bank is dominated by Merlot. My apologies to readers who are loyal to the wines of the Right, but today I want to delve further into the wines of the Left. The likes of Petrus and Cheval Blanc [...]
Burgundy or Bordeaux – which wine-making region do you prefer? June 23, 2015 The old adage goes: “Sow your oats in Bordeaux, retire in Burgundy”. Bordeaux is the most famous wine region in the world, with a straightforward designation system and well-branded chateaux. The four major grape varieties in Bordeaux are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, which are blended to create the eponymous Bordeaux blend. [...]
Italy: From fine wine backwater to Sassicaia superstar March 27, 2015 It is only in the last 40 years that Italy has been re-discovered and recognised as a high quality wine producer – but now it is a source of a great variety of fine wines. There are an estimated 1,000 vitis vinifera varieties cultivated in Italy and it has more than 300 different wine producing regions [...]
All about Bordeaux: Why Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the Left Bank and the Right is perfect for Cabernet Franc March 27, 2015 Bordeaux is the predominant region in the world for fine wine investment, completely dominating all other regions and comprising anywhere from 60-85% of regional trade by value in fine wine trading. Located in the southwest region of France, Bordeaux has three main wine producing regions: the Left Bank, Entre-Deux-Mers, and the Right Bank. Wines from [...]