Aug 17 2021 Thoughts on food and wine pairing News / 17th August 2021 17th August 2021 / 2 minutes of reading I must say right at the beginning that I am no expert on pairing food and wine. I have always believed that one should drink what one likes to drink with what one is eating; and in our household we generally enjoy red wine much more than white. Whilst I do accept that on occasion … Thoughts on food and wine pairing Read More »
Jun 3 2021 How much should I pay for a ‘good’ bottle of wine? News / 3rd June 2021 3rd June 2021 / 3 minutes of reading This might seem a silly question and in some ways it is: spend however much you want! But there are some simple things to know which will help you to obtain the best value for money. First of all, there is the current duty system in Britain which means £2.68 on every bottle that you … How much should I pay for a ‘good’ bottle of wine? Read More »
May 18 202118th May 2021 Our personal guide to Rioja News / 18th May 2021 18th May 2021 / 6 minutes of reading Rioja (Ree-ock-a) has deservedly the greatest reputation of all Spanish wines. It is not so long ago that the British consumer was offered little more than Spanish Burgundy, Spanish Chablis and Spanish Champagne. Since the restoration of the monarchy and Spain’s joining the Common Market, there has been a great renaissance in the country’s production … Our personal guide to Rioja Read More »
May 5 2021 Tips for blind wine tasting News / 5th May 2021 5th May 2021 / 4 minutes of reading I have some friends who try to test me by producing at the supper table a wine in a decanter and saying, “Now tell me what this is.” I must admit from the start that I prefer to be the person offering the decanter rather than to be receiving it, for true success in this … Tips for blind wine tasting Read More »
Apr 13 202113th April 2021 Where to store wine at home (if you don’t have a wine cellar!) News / 13th April 2021 13th April 2021 / 3 minutes of reading One of the few good things to have come out of the pandemic is that mail order sales of wine have increased considerably. Normally this will mean that you end up buying wine by the case and need somewhere to store it. It wasn’t so long ago that some research was carried out in the … Where to store wine at home (if you don’t have a wine cellar!) Read More »
Apr 6 2021 3 tips for navigating restaurant wine lists News / 6th April 2021 6th April 2021 / 2 minutes of reading Wine-lists can be intimidating at all sorts of levels, particularly to someone who isn’t used to eating out, or who might be acting as the host for the first time. Fear not, because confidence can come with experience and wider knowledge about wine. There are plenty of basic wine courses now available to help here. … 3 tips for navigating restaurant wine lists Read More »
Mar 30 20211st February 2022 What temperature should you serve wine at? News / 30th March 2021 1st February 2022 / 2 minutes of reading The traditional advice is that you should serve your white wines chilled and your. red wines at room temperature. Unfortunately, that’s not all there is to it. Let’s consider red wines first. What temperature should you serve red wine at? As it happens, I have before me three recently emptied red wine bottles: one is … What temperature should you serve wine at? Read More »
Mar 11 20211st February 2022 An exciting time for South African wine News / 11th March 2021 1st February 2022 / 4 minutes of reading To say that the South African wine industry has undergone a quality revolution in the last decade is no exaggeration. Current economic challenges due partly to the pandemic aside, it’s a very exciting time to explore South African wine. Our support of South African wine is needed now more than ever, after South Africa faced … An exciting time for South African wine Read More »
Mar 2 2021 How can you tell if a wine is corked? News / 2nd March 2021 2nd March 2021 / 3 minutes of reading Here’s some good news: it has recently been announced that two of the largest producers of corks have discovered how to guarantee ‘no taint’ corks for customers… and at no extra cost. The issue with corking wine The problem had been that micro-organisms in the veins in the cork could give an unpleasant taste to … How can you tell if a wine is corked? Read More »
Feb 22 202122nd February 2021 4 wine and food pairings you have to try! News / 22nd February 2021 22nd February 2021 / 3 minutes of reading Gone are the days when a slippery slope of rules and regulations about wine and food matching appeared hopelessly impossible to navigate. We’ve come to realise that experimentation is far more progressive with so many possible pairings to explore. And when it comes to wine & food pairing, personal preferences are what really matters. There … 4 wine and food pairings you have to try! Read More »