Grape&Grain
Five of the best from Domaine des Tourelles
Peter Ranscombe picks his favourite bottles from a Lebanese winery that traces its roots back to 1868. HAVING grown up in the 1980s, it’s hard not to think of Lebanon without remembering the country’s long-running civil war. From the kidnapping of Brian Keenan, John McCarthy and Terry Waite through to “Beirut” becoming a byword for…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – MARCH 2019 – PHEASANT
Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe selects five wines to go with pheasant, this month’s star ingredient. WITH its bright red wattle and distinctive cockerel-like call, the pheasant is a familiar sight throughout Scotland, waddling across farmers’ fields, woodland edges and roadside verges. Believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans – and certainly common…
Read MoreFermenting ideas for #FurmintFebruary19
Peter Ranscombe explores the wide variety of styles that can be made from Hungary’s flagship furmint grape. MENTION Hungary and wine fans are likely to think of one of two things – depending on their age. Younger winos are most likely to associate the Central European country with sweet wines from the Tokaj region, while…
Read MoreNOTEBOOK – JANUARY 2019 – BURNS’ NIGHT SPECIAL
With The Bard’s birthday just around the corner, Peter Ranscombe raids his notebook to recommend some very special whiskies from recent tastings. WHISPER it, but you don’t need haggis to enjoy Burns’ night. Raising a dram in memory of Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national bard, is an equally-fitting tribute to the poet who gave us the…
Read MoreProsecco & pals: which bubbles popped Scottish Field’s cork?
In between curling his hair and rouging his cheeks, Peter Ranscombe leads his Scottish Field colleagues in a pre-night out prosecco tasting. FEW sparkling wines have captured the imagination of the public like prosecco. Whether it’s drinks in a wine bar after work or getting ready at a friend’s house for a big night out,…
Read MoreGood things come in small packages
Peter Ranscombe explores Cask 88’s new quarter cask series of whiskies finished in tiny barrels. WANDER around enough distillery warehouses and the different sizes of wooden vessels used to age whisky will start to become familiar, from the standard 200-litre bourbon barrels through to the 250-litre hogsheads or “hoggies” and the giant 500-litre sherry butts.…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – FEBRUARY 2019 – SPINACH
Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe selects five wines to go with spinach dishes. AFTER a hard day of battling Bluto and tooting on his pipe, which wine would Popeye select to woo Olive Oyl and pair with his beloved spinach? With its earthy, iron-rich flavour, spinach can be highly versatile in dishes, which opens up a…
Read MoreStars in glasses and on plates at 21212
As a fan of 21212’s food, Peter Ranscombe couldn’t turn down an invitation to try the Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms’ wine pairings. CHEF Paul Kitching cracked the code for good food a long time ago – the proprietor at 21212, the restaurant with rooms on Edinburgh’s Royal Terrace, has held his Michelin star since 2010,…
Read MoreThis Italian red was served at Michelle Obama’s dinner
Peter Ranscombe samples wines from Cantina Goccia in Umbria, which have just landed in Scotland. FEW Italian regions strike such a chord with tourists as Tuscany; from Tony Blair and Terry Wogan to Stevie Wonder and Sting, celebrities have flocked to see its Renaissance art and to walk among its lavender fields and olive groves.…
Read MoreThese gins change colour – but that’s not their best trick
Peter Ranscombe visits the Old Curiosity distillery at the Secret Herb Garden in Edinburgh. TO SAY that there’s been a gin explosion in Scotland is like saying Theresa May has had a tough time with Brexit – the understatement of the century. Glance at the spirits shelf in your local bottle shop or pick up…
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