Grape&Grain
Whiskies for Burns Night
Drinks blogger James Robertson recommends five whiskies to toast the Bard. ROBERT BURNS said that “There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing” and also said “Suspense is worse than disappointment”. On Wednesday, many around the world will celebrate Burn’s birthday. There is a sure thing that whisky will be on the menu, but…
Read MoreDry January – is it worth it?
Drinks blogger James Robertson looks at the options for “Dry January”. SOME of us do “Sober October”, some of us do “I Cannae Remember December”, and some are now two weeks into “Dry January”. I have not been successful in achieving Dry January by the way, but hats off to my wife who has stoically…
Read MoreWine to Dine – February 2023 – Edinbane
Wine columnist James Robertson pairs five wines with dishes from Edinbane’s Calum Montgomery. TAKE a look at the recipes in the February issue of Scottish Field magazine and then enjoy the full reviews of the five accompanying wines… Esporão Quinta do Ameal Loureiro, 2020, Portugal, www.winedirect.co.uk, £13.95 Light, fruity with a hint of citrus and…
Read MoreFestive fizz and bubbles 2022
Drinks blogger James Robertson pops the cork on his festive fizz recommendations. HOW time flies; here we all are thinking about Christmas and the New Year, which is on the immediate horizon. I do not think that I am alone in thinking where on Earth did 2022 go? It certainly seems to have flown by;…
Read MoreWine to Dine – January 2023 – The Batch Lady
Wine columnist James Robertson picks bottles to pair with The Batch Lady’s recipes. TAKE a look at The Batch Lady’s recipes in the January issue of Scottish Field magazine and then enjoy the full version of the Wine to Dine column… Louis Jadot Cote d’Or Pinot Noir 2019, Wine Direct (£19.95) Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir…
Read MoreREVIEW: Eteaket Tea
Drinks blogger James Robertson pours himself a cup of Eteaket tea. I AM a self-confessed tea junkie and have been lucky enough to have visited the tea plantations in Dayuling, Taiwan, and both China’s Wuyi Mountains in Fujian and Heng Mountain in Hunan. So when Eteaket, the leaf tea company based in Edinburgh, sent me…
Read MoreWine to Dine – Christmas 2022 – River Tweed
Read wine columnist James Robertson‘s full reviews of his pairings for this year’s Scottish Field festive feast. CHECK out the recipes in the December issue of Scottish Field magazine and then take a look at the matching wines… Wiessburgunder Trocken, Weingut Schwartstrauber, 2020, Bancroft Wines, £17.50 It’s not all about Riesling; try this lovely balanced…
Read MoreBorders Malt & Rye
Borders Malt & Rye undergoes the taste test from drinks blogger James Robertson. I AM a proud Scotsman and equally proud of our national drink – whisky – but I do have a confession in that I love American bourbon and rye. So when a sample of the new whisky from the Borders Distillery landed…
Read MoreGreywacke Wild Sauvignon
Drinks blogger James Robertson enjoys a vertical tasting of Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc. THE other day I had the privilege of attending a vertical tasting of wines from Greywacke, a winery found in Marlborough, New Zealand. Marlborough is the home for some of the best New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs around. The climate and soil structure has…
Read MoreGin Extremes: From Shetland to Scilly
Drinks blogger James Robertson reviews gin from either end of the UK. WHO would have thought that you would find a gin distillery on the southern tip of the UK on the island of St Mary’s, part of the Isles of Scilly, and then 776 miles as the crow flies there is another one on…
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