Wine

Wander around most wine shops and you will find their selection divided by colour – white, red and rosé, then subdivided by country of origin. There have been some brave attempts to arrange wine shelves...

There are some parts of the world that like to describe wine by the place it comes from and there are those that use grape varieties. Now these two systems are gradually merging so that regional labels...

This is the time of year when many people decide to learn a new skill, and so, to save you heading out into the bleak winter weather I have decided to bring a wine course to your Saturday mornings. In just...

I had a really strange encounter at a Food and Drink fair last summer.   A representative from a fairly well-known company tried to get me to sign up for a tasting at home where essentially he would attempt...

So how is the diet going? As the combined excesses of the festive season fade into distant memories the evidence remains spread around the midriffs of many including me. January is generally regarded as the...

As the festive empties clang into the recycling bin, I am reminded of the happy occasions they accompanied, with friends and family gathered around the table. Some of the bottles we opened this year came not...

Welcome to the 2017 Fiendish Wine Quiz, specially designed to keep your brain cells sharp in this season of endless fun and excess food. As always it will be well worth testing your wine knowledge and research...

What is the best sound at Christmas? Is it Carol singers, the rustle of wrapping paper or maybe the sheer noise of excited children? All of these are important but the best sound of all is the pop of a cork...

Preparation is the key to a good Christmas – and the ability to change plans at a moment’s notice. That is why it is best to lay in a good stock of wines, so that you can concentrate on the really...

‘Have a mince pie’, I said to the gathering of neighbours clustered around my kitchen table as we discussed local issues ‘and would you like to try this?’ I poured small amounts of a dark, rich liquid...