Grape&Grain
Notebook – September 2020
Scottish Field drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe delves into his notebook to share more exciting bottles. Puffing Billy Vodka (£32.99, thebordersdistillery.com) While most vodkas can be dull and boring on their own, those clever people at The Borders Distillery have come up with a clever way of giving their vodka texture. They use malted barley as…
Read MoreM&S Classics range shifts to new world
Peter Ranscombe reviews five wines from Marks & Sparks’ latest additions. MARKS & Spencer continued the roll out of its “Classics” range this week. The first wave of bottles over the summer concentrated on old world examples, while this week’s wines focus on the new world, with a few other European players thrown into the…
Read MoreWhy grenache is so much more than ‘poor man’s pinot’
Ahead of tomorrow’s World Grenache Day, Peter Ranscombe praises the grape’s revival in Australia’s McLaren Vale – and beyond. SOMETIMES wine feels like a popularity contest, with bottles like prosecco, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc elbowing each other out the way to catch the drinker’s eye. For ugly duckings, it’s harder to be seen –…
Read MoreWhy organic wine needn’t cost the earth
As Organic September continues, Peter Ranscombe picks five bottles to try for under a tenner. REWIND to the 80s and 90s and “organic” produce used to raise an eyebrow. It was the slightly smaller, slightly manky looking apple in the corner of the display or that slightly odd-smelling wine that the shop keeper desperately wanted…
Read MoreWhy The Wine Society is ‘backing its best’
Peter Ranscombe finds out how The Wine Society, a long-running club owned by its members, is supporting small producers hit by the pandemic lockdowns. FEW businesses have been left untouched by the coronavirus pandemic – and winemakers are no exception. On top of the disruption caused to the harvest in the southern hemisphere, the closure…
Read MoreWhat was Berkmann’s best seller this summer?
With wine merchant Berkmann’s ‘Help 4 Hospitality’ campaign finishing, Peter Ranscombe looks back at its best sellers. WHEN the lockdowns were imposed around the UK, wine suppliers like Berkmann were faced with the closure of the restaurants, pubs and other hospitality venues to which they normally sold their bottles. The company responded within two weeks…
Read MoreHow Scotch helped Belvedere enhance vodka’s flavour
Vodka brand Belvedere took a leaf from whisky’s book to create its latest drink. Peter Ranscombe finds out why. VODKA is – if I’m feeling generous – a blank canvas on which bartenders can paint exciting pictures through cocktails. At its best, it’s neutral and unobtrusive; at its worst, it’s just plain boring. You can…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – OCTOBER 2020 – AL FRESCO
Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe picks five luxurious wines for al fresco dining. IT WAS really exciting to see al fresco dining returning as the theme for the food feature in the luxury issue of Scottish Field. As we’ve explored before, outdoor dining requires wines with plenty of character and flavour. And, with this…
Read MoreWine and dessert matching with SprEHd and Vino
Having indulged in SprEHd’s cheese and charcuterie grazing box, Peter Ranscombe turns his attention to its sweet incarnation. PERHAPS the only drawback of the current format for the food feature in the printed Scottish Field magazine is that chefs are recommending fewer recipes for desserts. While it’s exciting to have a different “star ingredient” each…
Read MoreBenriach relaunch: Rachel Barrie makes her mark
Peter Ranscombe tastes his way through Benriach distillery’s new range, which was launched online today. I’LL always have a soft spot for Benriach. It was one of the first whiskies that I got to know when I was cutting my teeth as a reporter at The Scotsman newspaper. I remember meeting its then owner, Billy…
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