Grape&Grain
Something for the weekend? Kombucha, giraffes and father’s day
Peter Ranscombe rounds up some of the interesting drinks making appearances this weekend… TOMORROW isn’t just father’s day – it turns out that it’s also world giraffe day. Glenmorangie distillery near Tain is famous for the height of the stills in which it makes its whisky, so it’s little surprise that the Scotch brand has…
Read More‘Not your usual Rioja’ with Miguel of The Green Room
Rioja is one of Scotland’s best-loved wines and, if you know where to look, it can still provide exciting examples, as Peter Ranscombe finds out. HOW do you launch a wine bar during a lockdown? Ghislain Aubertel and Miguel Crunia at The Green Room in Edinburgh may have just found the answer with their online sales,…
Read MorePinot punch-up: New Zealand v Oregon
Who will come out on top in a comparative tasting between Oregon and New Zealand? Peter Ranscombe grabs his whistle to act as referee. ONE grape unites most if not all wine lovers – pinot noir. Its spiritual homeland is Burgundy in France, yet winemakers around the world use the variety to test their mettle, from…
Read MoreCapturing Italy’s character with organic wines
Cantina Tollo is letting local grape varieties shine thanks to organic farming, writes Peter Ranscombe. BEING stuck in a coronarvirus lockdown hasn’t stopped Italian wine co-operative Cantina Tollo from innovating. The Abruzzo-based producer has launched its “biologico” range of five wines that carry both organic and vegan certification. The co-op, which was founded in 1960,…
Read MoreA red refresher course with Lidl
An evening of red wine tasting gave Peter Ranscombe an appetite for exploring more of the discounter’s core range. LIDL’S “Wine Tour” promotions are an addictive wee gimmick – every eight weeks or so, the supermarket chain releases a couple of dozen wines in limited quantities – so when they’re gone, they’re gone. The set that…
Read MoreFriday night French frolics with Wine Line Scotland
There’s more to French sauvignon blanc than Sancerre and its Loire valley stablemates, as Peter Ranscombe finds out. ZOOM isn’t the only game in town when it comes to online wine tastings. Swipe onto social media network Instagram any time after 5pm and you’ll be confronted with a veritable vineyard full of virtual vino discourses.…
Read MoreThere’s a new beer delivery service in town…
Peter Ranscombe puts The Beer Town’s new delivery service through its paces with a quartet of lighter Scottish brews. REMEMBER pubs? Those were the places where we used to go for a pint of beer and to moan about the fitba. I miss pubs. But one of the few bright spots during the lockdown has been…
Read MoreSix of the best wines for takeaways
All Peter Ranscombe‘s beige dreams came true when he paired wines with takeaways*. SOMETHING really special happens when the right wine is matched to the right food – the two components harmonise and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As we’ve seen again and again with the Wine to Dine column…
Read MorePaul and Jacine Rutasikwa breathe fresh ‘Liv’ into rum
A new range of Scottish spirits offers no rum deal as far as Peter Ranscombe is concerned. PAUL Rutasikwa may have just restored my faith in liqueurs. While most of our so-called “gin liqueurs” in Scotland fall flat on their faces because the other flavours mask the juniper – the taste of which is the…
Read MoreCovid cocktail culture: pour yourself a wee ‘Quarantini’
Peter Ranscombe dusts off his cocktail shaker to put the ‘Quarantini’ drinks box from Keep Edinburgh Thriving through its paces. IN YEARS to come, we’ll all look back on 2020 and ask each other one question: “Do you remember the last drink you had in a bar before lockdown began?” For me, it was a…
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