Hannes Myburgh’s Meerlust Estate is wine tasting paradise Life&Style Meerlust Rubicon was the first wine I bought en primeur. This is the process of buying wine while it is still aging, ahead of it coming to market. It means securing sought-after bottles at potentially lower prices while the winemakers receive an early cash flow. I felt very grown up and sophisticated and rather lucky [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: Best Japanese restaurants in London Life&Style Last week I was busy spending time dining charitably with sporting heroes. It began by sending Shawsey off on his ‘Legends of Telemark’ mission (he raises funds for MND) with a lunch where beautiful beef wellingtons reigned. It took place in the company of former Scottish international, Ryan Wilson at the Black Lamb in Wimbledon [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best gastropubs in London Life&Style The past week has been one of celebrations. Gordon Ramsay opened his 22 Bishopsgate venue, where I enjoyed caviar and Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir as Nick Grimshaw played tunes and GQ’s Worst Dressed Man of 2018, Joe Wicks, danced with Angela Hartnett and other ‘A-listers’. I enjoyed an amazing St David’s Day dinner at Quaglino’s [...]
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 The Gallivant is a wine-lover’s happy place February 25, 2025 Oh, The Gallivant, how I love you. I would say “let me count the ways” but there would be too many for this column’s wordcount. Despite my loving almost any excuse for a celebration, Valentines Day has not cut the proverbial mustard enough times and it has lost its lustre. Going out means sitting elbow [...]
When drinking wine can actually be good for you February 18, 2025 At a recent event, a gentleman humbly recounted a story to me. He had been boasting of his impressive collection of Chateauneuf du Pape to a wine merchant, but upon revealing the vintages, he was dismayed to be told that all these prized bottles would now be past their best and he should have drunk [...]
Dancing the Brave Goose to Britney February 12, 2025 MY FRIEND Lela is wild, heaps of fun and always seems to be doing something exciting with her time. One evening I casually liked her Instagram story in which she was strutting her stuff at a dance class, and found myself agreeing to join her for the next one. SOS Dance pitch themselves as “The [...]
The Best Wine List in London February 11, 2025 STOP the press! I have found it! The golden fleece of gastronomy. This is the best wine list in London. Now, admittedly, I have not tried every single wine list in our sprawling capital but given my proclivities, I have tried a great many – and rarely, if ever, have I found one as beguiling, [...]
From Rapid Tapping to mindful drinking with Poppy Delbridge February 5, 2025 I AM ALWAYS looking for ways to balance wine and wellness, to discover new ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle while enjoying a tipple. So when Poppy Delbridge invited me to her Rapid Tapping session at the refurbished Kensington Roof Gardens, I jumped at the chance. Rapid Tapping is nothing to do with getting your [...]
BEST PINK FIZZ TO SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR VALENTINE February 4, 2025 VALENTINES’ Day approaches, so which bottle are you going to whip out for your partner, lover, or friend-with-benefits? There is something classically romantic about a pink sparkling wine and those two qualities just happen to be undergoing a rise in popularity in the UK. Rosé Champagne dates back to the late 18th Century, though there [...]