James Wine & Spirits
M&S goes off wine’s beaten track
Peter Ranscombe reviews the new “Found” range of “unexpected and undiscovered” wines from Marks & Spencer. MARKS & Spencer wine buyers Sue Daniels and Belinda Kleinig have had a busy lockdown. After launching Markies’ “Classics” and “This is…” ranges last year, they’ve embarked on their latest vinous adventure – “Found”. This new selection features “unexpected…
Read MoreIt’s time to break out those paler ales
Peter Ranscombe runs the rule over the latest releases from beer website Flavourly. DESPITE this Arctic blast over the past couple of weeks, I’m informed reliably that spring is here. As the seasons turn, so too do the styles of beer for which we reach. The porters and stouts of autumn and winter give way…
Read MoreFollowing the spice route to Azaline
Peter Ranscombe samples a pinot noir-driven vermouth that takes drinkers on a trip to the Orient. ONE of the most exciting aspects of tasting a new drink is pulling it apart to study its components. Why does this wine taste of lemons, and butter, and vanilla? Why does this whisky taste of dark chocolate, and…
Read MoreReyneke: ‘Farming with grapes and farming with soils’
Peter Ranscombe revisits Reyneke’s stunning organic and biodynamic wines from South Africa. WHEN he arrives at a trade tasting, Daily Mail wine columnist Matthew Jukes is professionalism personified. Head down, taste the wines, move onto the next job. That’s why is was so refreshing to see his fan boy side when he presented last week’s…
Read MoreEssential California: the ‘unusual’ organic suspects
In the second part of his report from the ‘Essential California’ virtual tasting, Peter Ranscombe goes beyond the usual suspects. IN THE days running up to Scotland’s first lockdown, one of the final wine tastings I attended was the “Essential Calfornia” event in London. In the hustle and bustle of a hotel in the city’s…
Read More5 of California’s best organic pinots
The Golden State’s online wine tasting demonstrated pinot noir at its best, writes Peter Ranscombe. FEW grape varieties get wine geeks as excited as pinot noir. Most-closely associated with Burgundy in France, the grape has gone on to find new homes in the new world, including at Mornington and Tasmania in Australia, Central Otago in…
Read MoreWine to Dine – May 2021 – Sophie Greig
Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe mixes five sweet and dry bottles to back up Sophie’s baking. BAKER Sophie Greig scooped the top prize in the Contini Bake Off competition with her caramel apple Paris brest and so it was fascinating to get an insight into some of her other recipes in the May issue…
Read MorePutting Tesco’s SMS wine service to the test
Peter Ranscombe tries a wine recommendation service from Britain’s biggest grocer. IT’S a situation that will be familiar to every foodie. You’ve researched your recipe, you’ve grabbed your ingredients, you’ve invited your friends round – but what wine are you going to serve with your chosen dish? If you were in a restaurant ordering a…
Read MoreLanzarote: The grapes that grow in lava
Peter Ranscombe pens a very personal reflection on wines from the Canaries’ most unusual island. LET me start with a confession – I’m biased horrendously when it comes to Lanzarote. In fact, I promised myself I would never write an article about the island and its wines in this blog. Selfishly, I wanted to keep…
Read MoreWhat’s the craic with Beer 52’s Irish craft ales?
Peter Ranscombe joins drinks website Beer 52 for a virtual road trip around the island of Ireland’s breweries. FEW countries are associated as closely with a single drink as Ireland and stout. Guinness flows through Dublin’s veins, and few beers can claim to match its global brand recognition. Yet Ireland also has a thriving craft…
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