The best bottles to buy this English Wine Week Life&Style 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 [...]
Vino by the waves: The best British seaside hotels for wine Life&Style English summertime means visits to the seaside, ideally with a glass of wine in hand. Having toured the coast recently here are some of the best places to drink with a view of the waves. The Terrace Rooms & Wine – Ventnor, Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight has a new destination for wine [...]
Everyone’s drinking mid-strength wine. Here’s what to buy Life&Style The best mid-strength wine to buy, according to our columnist Libby Brodie There is an awful lot of scaremongering amongst the drinks industry about people turning their backs on booze. It is true that there is a fervent wellness trend right now and some dogmatic corners of it do demonise drink, but how genuine is [...]
Sicily: Italy’s jewel, from foodie hubs to the coastline June 2, 2026 Sicily: Italy’s moreish island, from food hubs to the coast, by Jamie Douglass The history of Anglo-Sicilian relations is long, amicable, and has much to do with wine. In 1773, a travelling Englishman called John Woodhouse discovered the excellence of Marsala – a fortified wine produced in the city of Marsala in Sicily – and [...]
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 [...]
Music and wine is the ultimate pairing- where to enjoy it this summer May 12, 2026 If music is the food of love, no wonder it pairs so well with wine. Many great wine houses have clocked this already, but none so perfectly as Krug Champagne who have worked with famous composers to create truly exceptional artistic experiences. In February I was invited to the Roundhouse in London’s Chalk Farm for [...]
This is how to choose between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris May 6, 2026 While on Alan Carr and Lee Peart’s podcast Bottoms Up recently, Peart asked me what is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. I replied, “one of them is drinkable”, which was perhaps a little unfair. It is true I would never choose to drink Pinot Grigio, but it remains one of the most [...]
The Inner Table podcast host: Why it’s wrong to demonise alcohol April 30, 2026 Our wine columnist Libby Brodie has teamed up with her friend Anna Lancaster to launch a new podcast exploring the meeting point between wellness, wine and food. We caught up with her to ask what we can expect from The Inner Table: The Art of Living Well. Why does The Inner Table stand apart from [...]
Special relationship: Americans snub champagne in favour of English fizz April 29, 2026 Americans are flocking to English wine and snubbing champagne, the boss of England’s biggest winemaker has said. Kent-based Chapel Down said consumers across the Atlantic are fuelling record demand for English sparkling wine, as the AIM-listed firm bets big on the US market. Chief executive James Pennefather told City AM: “Americans are really embracing Chapel [...]