Wine list advice: You’re the boss and the sommelier is your friend Restaurants are finally opening up again – you’re going to eat a meal that you didn’t cook! Time to dust off and squeeze into your old favourite threads. After working in some of London’s best restaurants for the last 15 years I’ve got some top tips on how to get the most out of your [...]
Outdoor drinking is back: Here’s our guide on how to do it in style While we wait for pubs and restaurants to re-open, outdoor meetups are happening again. But the world of al fresco boozing is strewn with pitfalls. Luckily for you I’ve done all the hard work – here’s our guide to boozing in the great outdoors. Ditch wines with a cork Don’t be that person who brings [...]
The Friday wine column: Expert’s guide to food matching Matching wine with food is often seen as an elite level of wine expertise, something only for the real pros, so why would anyone who doesn’t know much about wine go there? First, there’s the additional joy and pleasure you can bring into your life with just a few small changes to something you’re already [...]
Pop quiz: How much do you really know about German wine? March 5, 2021 At this time of the year my palate changes and I start craving more refreshing styles of wine. I always end up rediscovering German wines – like an album you played to death and haven’t heard since last summer. I love reconnecting with these wines. German wines have a bad reputation in the UK. I’ve [...]
Natural wine is all the rage – but what exactly is it? February 17, 2021 Natural wine has become achingly trendy in recent years, with specialist wine lists, wine bars and wine festivals cropping up across the world – but what is it? The First thing to clarify is that natural wine isn’t a particular style of wine – that is, it doesn’t describe the way a wine tastes. Natural [...]
How to host the perfect evening this Valentine’s day February 4, 2021 This will be the first year in over a decade I won’t be working in a restaurant this Valentine’s day. For hospitality professionals it’s the most dreaded day in the calendar for so many reasons – it’s the first busy day of the year, restaurant owners cram in as many tables of two as possible. [...]
Travel South Africa through its top vineyards January 19, 2021 Like most people in the UK right now, I’m well overdue a holiday. Last year was the first I’ve not left the country in a very long time. The majority of the trips I take involve wine. Some of the most beautiful places I’ve travelled to have been wine growing regions. I can’t think of one [...]
No more Dry January – let’s do Damp January with wine instead January 6, 2021 With the third lockdown, home-schooling, and the food and drink industry on its knees, this is not the year for a ‘Dry January’. I say instead we make it a ‘Damp January’, using the time to improve our relationship with booze, find new loves, and support independent food and drink businesses. Here are my top [...]
