Wines to Pair with Chocolate – and how to make them tango
Chocolate can be a tricky customer when it comes to matching wines, but it’s certainly not a no-go area. Believe me, after years of...
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- Mar 10, 2016
WINE OF THE WEEK: Foremost Syrah 2015, Hawkes Bay
£8.99, Lidl This is from Lidl’s Easter wine cellar collection and is worth snapping up before the limited stocks disappear – even if...
- Mar 3, 2016
WINE OF THE WEEK: Terres de Moraines Madiran 2012
£7–£9, Marks & Spencer Madiran from southwest France is definitely one of France’s wilder, more rugged red wines. If you’ve bumped into...
- Feb 26, 2016
WINE OF THE WEEK: Allegracore 2014, Etna Rosso
£19.50, Tanners shops and tanners-wines.co.uk Who wouldn’t be drawn to a wine called Allegracore – happy heart, named after the spot...
- Feb 5, 2016
WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Joseph Burrier Saint-Amour Côte de Besset 2013
£14.50, The Wine Society I’m not sure whether I’m killing two birds with one stone or multi-tasking, but this week’s wine doubles up as...
- Jan 28, 2016
What I admire about wine: integrity, authenticity, purity and character
Stop Press! 14 April, 2016: I'm delighted to report that these wines are now available at £19.95 per bottle from winesensations.co.uk...
- Jan 23, 2016
Boozy Food with Wine: Aromatic Dried Fruit in Red Wine
This dark, spicy, autumnal dish can be made two or three days in advance and kept in the fridge. Serve it cold, tepid or warm, with...
- Jan 16, 2016
Boozy Food with Wine: Beef with Shallots in Red Wine
Everybody needs a failsafe, rich and warming beef casserole recipe for winter. This is mine. I always use shin, because it has such a...
- Jan 14, 2016
WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Mas Barrau Cabernet Franc 2014, Pays du Gard
£7.89, Booths supermarkets and independents This flowing, soft red from Languedoc ticks all sort of useful January boxes. It’s made from...
- Jan 10, 2016
Moderate Alcohol, Persuasive Flavour
If you know where to look, there are plenty of wines with modest alcohol but bags of character and flavour Prompted by the UK...
- Jan 2, 2016
Cool Grapes
New year, new grape varieties: ten grapes and wines for 2016 Remember Grü-V? Yes, the American moniker for Grüner Veltliner. The trouble...
- Dec 31, 2015
WINE OF THE WEEK: Definition Viña Majestica Rioja Reserva 2009
£12.99, or £9.74 in any 6-bottle mix, Majestic Everything a Rioja Reserva should be and an ideal red with which to greet the new year:...
- Dec 30, 2015
Cheap, Cheery Party Wines
Still and sparkling wines that are easy to drink, don’t need food and are available on the high street – five of them at under £7.50. For...
- Dec 29, 2015
Quiz Time! A wine quiz with answers
The purpose of this blog is to provide you with some material for Christmas quizzes, longueurs in the conversation, one-upmanship with...
- Dec 18, 2015
WINE OF THE WEEK: Mud House Pinot Noir 2014
£9.75, Tesco, £11, Sainsbury's, £9.99/£14.99, Majestic The juicy, sweet fruit and almost tannin-free suppleness of a good New Zealand...
- Dec 16, 2015
Festive Red Wines
Ten red wines to serve with the Christmas feast Wines listed in ascending order of price. I've given a UK stockist (or two) for each, but...
- Dec 2, 2015
What does a winemaker do when he doesn't like his own wine?
Marcelo Papa, winemaker for Concha Y Toro, Chile What a difference a year makes. It’s a statement of the obvious where wine is concerned,...
- Nov 27, 2015
WINE OF THE WEEK: Uvaggio Primitivo 2011, California
£14.95, Berry Bros & Rudd, bbr.com It’s a bit late to be thinking of this for Thanksgiving, but it’s not too late for the Christmas...
- Nov 13, 2015
WINE OF THE WEEK: Taste the Difference Priorat 2013
£10, Sainsbury's You can pay a small fortune for a wine from the remote, hilly region of Priorat in Catalonia – home to some of Spain’s...
- Oct 29, 2015
WINE OF THE WEEK: Zensa Nero d’Avola 2013
£10.50, Oddbins, oddbins.com Love the retro label, love the wine - a full-on, spicy, cherry-scented red that will go down a treat (as...
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