Wine to buy this week: The very best Pinot Noir on the shelves Life&Style Last week it was Pinot Noir Day and, though I am sorry not to have forewarned you, I can reassure you that I thoroughly celebrated and am able to recommend the best to buy right now. Pinot Noir is known as the ‘Heartbreak Grape’. It is stubborn, unpredictable, sensitive and tantrum-inducingly difficult to grow. Yet [...]
Humble Grape is a wine bar like no other: Here’s its origin story Toast the City Is a bar only as good as its origin story? The calibre of the drinks and service are of, of course, of vital importance but it’s the mythos of a place that gives it that je nais se quoi. Humble Grape, one of our Toast the City Awards 2026 Finalists, has one of the best [...]
For Albarino in the City, head to Humble Grape Toast the City Not satisfied with one isolated national grape day, Albarino (or Alvarinho in Portugal) is about to kick off a week’s worth of celebrations from 1 August. This annual event began in the 1950s in Spain as a wine-tasting competition between local winemakers and was later made official, spreading internationally to highlight what makes this grape [...]
The best bottles to buy this English Wine Week June 19, 2026 English Wine Week is almost upon us (20-28 June) and we have more to celebrate than ever before, with our producers seeing massive wins across global competitions. A magnum of Sugrue South Down’s ‘The Trouble with Dreams’ 2009 (Hedonism, £195) became the first English sparkling in large format to receive Best in Show at the [...]
English wine has moved up a notch – here’s why May 26, 2026 English wine is on the up, from Kent’s new Wine Garden of England collective to the Surrey Hills Wine Week. How English counties are racing to establish distinct regional identities English wine is considered a collaborative rather than a competitive industry. The feeling was “a rising tide lifts all ships” as our wines began to [...]
No, you don’t hate Chardonnay. Here’s why it’s your favourite grape May 20, 2026 Here’s why you love Chardonnay (yes, really), by our wine columnist Libby Brodie Move over Christmas, take a sidestep Easter, because this Thursday 21 May it is National Chardonnay Day. For any of the ABC crowd (those who drink ‘anything but Chardonnay’) I am here to tell you that you love this grape… and you [...]
Why there’s more to Sauvignon Blanc than your ‘standard’ Savvy B April 29, 2026 Sauvignon Blanc remains anchored in the UK’s top three white wines and this fantastically flavoursome grape gets to celebrate its success with International Sauvignon Blanc Day on the first Friday in May. It can be enjoyed in many guises, so which one appeals to you? If you like a wine that makes an entrance and [...]