Grape&Grain
Self isolating? One-hour wine delivery tested
Peter Ranscombe puts Drinkly’s one-hour ordering service through its paces by picking six of his favourite wines from Edinburgh’s Vino chain. WHAT a week it’s been – from BoJo standing up on Monday to tell us not to go to pubs, restaurants or theatres through to the school gates closing this evening with little hope…
Read MoreMake Mother’s day sparkle with these last-minute mail order muses
Peter Ranscombe keeps it local with fizzy wines from south of the border as special treats for special Mums. MANY of us may no longer be able to visit our Mums this weekend thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add a little sparkle to Mothering Sunday, courtesy of these fizzy…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – APRIL 2020 – CHOCOLATE
He may not have a whiskered nose or a powder-puff tail, but Peter Ranscombe has sweet and savoury wines to pair with chocolate dishes for Easter. LET me start with a confession – I love chocolate. Whether it’s dark, milk or white, I just can’t get enough of the stuff. Unless you’re going to slip…
Read MoreWhat does 150-year-old wine taste like?
Peter Ranscombe travels back through vinous time to try a pair of wines from the Victorian era. “IT’S not every day that you get to try two 150-year-old wines side-by-side,” quipped James Davy, as he poured the sixth and final drink at a very special masterclass to mark the century and a half that his…
Read MoreThese pancake pairings are flippin’ marvellous
Whether you’re serving savoury or sweet fillings, renowned tosser Peter Ranscombe has donned his pinnie to pair pancakes to wines. PREPARE for an #earworm to be stuck in your head – because it’s pancake day, it’s pancake day, it’s p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day. And, as Sir Tony Robinson and Danny John-Jules taught us, it’s time to grab…
Read MoreYour last-minute Valentine’s day wine guide
Panicking over which bottle to pick for your beloved? Peter Ranscombe and his Cupid-shaped corkscrew have the answers. WHETHER you’re staying in for a bit of “Netflix and chill” or “going out-out” for Valentine’s day, Galentine’s day even Palentine’s day then here’s a quick survival guide for the 24 hours that lie ahead… I want…
Read MoreA rosé isn’t just for summer, it’s for life
Storm Ciara may have receded, and Storm Dennis may be looming, but don’t let the wintry weather put you off pouring a food-friendly rosé, writes Peter Ranscombe. PICTURE the scene: it’s a cold winter’s day, the snow is gently falling outside, and the log fire is roaring in the hearth. Ideal time for a rosé,…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – MARCH 2020 – PORK
Scottish Field wine columnist and drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe pigs out on five pairings in praise of pork. FEW beasts are as versatile as the pig. From pork and ham through to bacon and sausages, I’d find it almost as hard to give up the truly scrumptious creature as I would steak. Pork’s versatility is…
Read MoreMargaret River: where tradition meets experimentation
Arguably Australia’s most-famous winemaking region, there’s far more to Margaret River than Bordeaux and Burgundy lookalikes, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. TEXTBOOKS will tell you that Western Australia’s Margaret River is an interesting blend of Bordeaux and Burgundy, producing red wines from cabernet sauvignon and white wines from chardonnay. While it’s only natural for wine drinkers…
Read MoreTakeaway messages for matching wine to Chinese dishes
If you’re celebrating Chinese new year with a takeaway then Peter Ranscombe has some carry-out suggestions. ASKING “Which wine goes with Chinese food?” is like asking “Which wine goes with European food?” We sometimes forget that China is a vast country – 1.4 billion people are spread across 3.7 million square miles, meaning the UK’s landmass…
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