James Wine & Spirits
Lockdown lamb II: Last-minute libations
As Maundy Thursday approaches, Peter Ranscombe picks wines from local stores and further afield to serve with your Easter lamb. PERHAPS this year more than any other, Easter feels full of hope. “Stay at home” is about to become “Stay local” on Good Friday. Hairdressers will reopen on Monday – goodbye, mullet – and garden…
Read MoreCap Classique: Are these the world’s best-value bubbles?
Peter Ranscombe celebrates 50 years of South Africa’s flagship sparkling wine. IF YOU went to a party and all the guests were sparkling wines then you’d be able to spot the usual suspects. There’s Champagne over there, holding court, and hogging the limelight. Then there’s Prosecco in the middle of the dance floor, causing trouble…
Read MoreThere’s more to South Africa than pinotage and chenin
Two online wine tastings remind Peter Ranscombe about the diversity of South Africa’s grapes. THINK South Africa, think pinotage, the weird offspring of cinsault and pinot noir that’s become the country’s flagship red. Or perhaps it’s chenin blanc that springs to mind, the Loire stalwart that’s found a new lease of life in the Cape.…
Read MoreWhy it’s time to revisit Italy’s BIG red wines
Don’t fear the reaper – nor the tannins in full-bodied Italian reds, suggests Peter Ranscombe. SCOTLAND’S links with Italy stretch back for generations. Whether it’s Italian restaurants, ice cream shops, or the local fish and chip emporium, there are few Scottish towns without a connection to the “Bel Paese”. Those strong bonds are reflected in…
Read MoreCould Rueda be the best wine to order in a restaurant?
Peter Ranscombe meets the white wine that can even go with lamb. RESTAURANTS – remember those? The mythical places where we used to gather to share food and drink and laughter with family and friends and strangers-who-weren’t-friends-yet. Soon, those days will return. And with them will come that age-old conundrum – which bottle of wine…
Read MoreWhy blending begins in the vineyard
Peter Ranscombe relives his sixth-year studies* chemistry lessons with a spot of online blending. FOR such a simple word, “blend” is packed full of complexity. It’s easy to pass over that collection of five little letters without giving it much thought. Yet listening online this afternoon to winemaker Felipe Tosso and grape grower Sergio Hormazábal…
Read MoreClassics and discoveries with The Wine Society
Spring’s online wine tastings continue with bottles from a very special wine club, writes Peter Ranscombe. THERE are two things for which The Wine Society is known – classic wines at classic prices, and exciting oddities that will make even the most seasoned wine geek sit up and take notice. Both ends of the spectrum…
Read MoreThe best sake and shochu for whisky fans
Japan’s brewed and distilled drinks have lots to offer Scotch lovers, as Peter Ranscombe finds out. YOU’VE heard of sake, but how about shochu? While sake has been growing in popularity and prominence in Scotland, I confess that shochu was a new one on me. Sake is brewed like a beer, while shochu is distilled…
Read MoreTales of the unexpected from Aldi and Lidl
Peter Ranscombe discovers some surprises among the latest wines released by Lidl and Aldi. DRAW closer and let me tell you some tales of the unexpected. There’s the tale of the sauvignon blanc from Hungary. There’s the story of the sangiovese from Chile. And there’s the legend of the riesling – from Canada. Supermarket chain…
Read MoreMeet the ‘most Burgundian’ of Bordeaux’s wines
An online tasting with Edinburgh restaurant Fhior reveals new ideas are meeting traditional methods in Bordeaux, writes Peter Ranscombe. IT’S the quiet ones you have to watch. When he’s serving you in Fhior, Stuart Skea is the epitome of discretion. He’ll slide quietly up to your table, whisper wise words of advice about the bottles…
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