Five bottles that prove bordeaux wine can be fun not stuffy November 15, 2023 Bordeaux wine has traditionally been bogged down by its classic image, but some wine makers are creating new and different styles
A wine-lover’s guide to Sober October October 3, 2023 I fully support those doing Sober October, though I’ll be cheering from the side-lines with a glass of champagne in hand. It can be a worthwhile if rather grim undertaking, so here are my top tips for dealing with tee-totalism with style, flair and, most of all, flavour. Gone are the days of lacklustre lemonade [...]
Enjoy a luxury car retreat at the stunning Montagu Arms in the New Forest October 3, 2023 Even if you don’t own a classic car you can act like you do while you stay at the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu, a charming chocolate-box village in the heart of the ancient woodlands. THE WEEKEND Even if you aren’t a natural motorhead there is something bone-achingly cool about driving a red 1966 vintage Jaguar E-type. [...]
Top London bars to drink organic wine September 5, 2023 September has been deemed Organic Month, so it seems only fitting to talk about the trend for organic wines. The idea of organic wine used to be met with suspicion – but those funky tasting bottles are thankfully a thing of the past. Now we have widely available, quality organic, biodynamic and natural wines, although [...]
Best places in London to drink wine by the glass August 26, 2023 There have been many reports about the trend for reducing alcohol in-take, particularly among Gen Z and younger. As a wine lover and professional I can never fully support tee-totalism (unless for medical reasons) but what I can get on board with is the ethos of drinking less but drinking better. Gone are the days [...]
The best party wines, from Ibiza to St Tropez and Santorini August 7, 2023 Each summer certain places draw epicureans and hedonists like a magnet. Crystalline waters, blue skies and beaming sunshine are all very well but as the beautiful people recline upon their beach beds, dance under the stars and dine under glorious sunsets, what I want to know is: what wine are they drinking? St Tropez held [...]
Carmen Stevens on philanthropy, wine and South Africa July 26, 2023 The first black South African to study winemaking in South Africa, Carmen Stevens owns the first black-owned winery in the country and, aided by her partnership with Naked Wines in the UK, provides meals to 25,000 hungry school children in Stellenbosch each year through ‘Carmen’s Kids’. WHAT GOT YOU INTO WINE? Wine has a lot [...]
Secret cheese and wine pairings to amaze dinner party guests July 26, 2023 You will all, I assume, have yesterday been celebrating one of the highlights of the British calendar: National Cheese and Wine Day. Other than being an amazing excuse to eat loads of cheese and drink loads of wine, the day was also the perfect opportunity to ask my cheesemonger friend about the secrets behind the [...]
Why these wines are the perfect serve for Wimbledon June 28, 2023 Even watching tennis can be thirsty work so it is time to prime those palates for Wimbledon and pair your glass to whomever you are supporting this season. Our very own Andy Murray has won Wimbledon twice already and is looking as good as a glass of something crisp and cold on a hot day [...]
Where to celebrate English Wine Week in London, from tours to tastings June 14, 2023 As a UK-based wine lover, one of the most important weeks is nearly upon us: English Wine Week. England has always been one of the most important wine markets in the world, flooded with wines from every grape growing country, but 17-25 June is the time for our own produce to shine. At the recent [...]