Celebrating International Women’s Day – With Wine March 9, 2022 This week was International Women’s Day and it is fitting for me to celebrate this through wine. When drinking, women choose wine nearly twice as often as men but the industry itself is still largely a man’s game. Speaking to some women who have worked in wine for up to 40 years, it is clear [...]
Let them drink D’Yquem: A new dawn for the best known sweet wine March 8, 2022 When Chateau D’Yquem issues an invitation, it brooks no refusal. A bucket list wine if ever there was one, Chateau D’Yquem is world famous for their exquisite (and expensive) sweet wines. The launch of the 2019 vintage, hosted at the sumptuously trendy NoMad Hotel, heralds the dawn of a new age for the established wine [...]
Dining Diary: Whitcomb’s at The Londoner February 25, 2022 Typically associated with gaudy tourist traps, Leicester Square is now home to the bone-achingly cool The Londoner, a hotel which is saved from being intimidatingly chic by the excellence of its warmly welcoming staff. Attention to detail is the name of the game here from the witty selection of art to the Italian Murano glass [...]
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is in short supply – here’s what to do February 25, 2022 The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a stalwart of the London wine list. Even the most wine-wary have probably tried a glass with its distinctive notes of gooseberry and passionfruit. A globally popular choice there is world-wide demand, which is why the current shortage is causing a stir. “The 2021 harvest, while of exceptional quality, [...]
In the mood for love: Valentines’ wines February 11, 2022 Wine and romance have been active bedfellows since ancient times. The Greek and Roman Gods of Wine, Dionysus and Bacchus respectively, also presided over poetry, fertility, parties and other “Bacchanalian” delights. In possibly the first ever version of the ‘get out of jail free’ card, those who got a tad too hedonistic were said to [...]
French Bloom: The women taking on the booze biz with no-alc wine February 10, 2022 Top model Constance Jablonski and foodie entrepreneur Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger have launched French Bloom, a “fully organic, fully alcohol-free, fully French sparkling drink” that they say has the sophistication and complexity to rival wine. Both women were juggling the various aspects of work, family, and social life when they were inspired to create something that could [...]
For casual wine tasting there’s no better place than Humble Grape January 27, 2022 If you are looking for a fun and simple way to get out of your wine comfort zone then let me recommend Humble Grape. With various locations around London, I stopped into my local one in Battersea for a casual dinner and discovered ‘Tasting Tuesdays’ where, for only £15, one can try four wines selected [...]
How Vivino democratised wine January 26, 2022 For wine drinkers Vivino has been a disruptive and democratising force. I have often seen supermarket shoppers whip out their phones to check the rating and flavour profile of a wine before making a purchase. Two heads are better than one so they say, so just think what a community of 54m can do. The [...]
Anya Hindmarch on her new Low & No Off License The Dry Drinker January 22, 2022 Dry January has never been cooler thanks to Anya Hindmarch CBE, the award-winning British Designer who has turned her attention to the new wave of ‘low or no’ alcohol drinks. For a limited time only, Hindmarch has teamed up with The Dry Drinker to launch a booze-free off license in her Anya Village in the [...]
Dining Diary: A tasting in Sky Garden showcased Great British wine January 12, 2022 I always recommend the Sky Garden to anyone visiting London. It has 360 degree views across our glorious city, with three bars, two restaurants and plenty of space to meander through the indoor garden or on the outside balcony. Fenchurch is the fancier of the restaurants, sporting its own wide terrace where I sipped Simpsons [...]