James Wine & Spirits
12 wines of Christmas: California
Peter Ranscombe begins his journey through the 12 wines of Christmas with Marimar Estate in California. HEAR the name “Torres” and its natural to think of the family’s Spanish vineyards. Yet the country’s most famous winemaking dynasty is now arguably equally as famous for its vines in Chile. What’s perhaps less well-known is that the…
Read MoreWine to Dine – January 2021 – The Seafood Shack
Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe reels in five bottles that will make a splash with seafood. SEAFOOD is always one of the most exciting “star ingredients” when it turns up in the food feature in the printed Scottish Field magazine – which is also available to buy online. There’s something very special about wines…
Read MoreAlexander Wines serves up Christmas with a twist
Peter Ranscombe pops the corks on some exciting alternative festive choices. I’M AS guilty as anyone else when it comes to reaching for the same old favourites at Christmas. A bottle of Chablis, a bottle of pinot noir, and a bottle of something with bubbles in it, and I’m usually set for the festivities to…
Read MoreAcceptable in the 80s: Errazuriz’s cabernet
Peter Ranscombe climbs back into his vinous time machine to join a virtual ‘vertical’ tasting of wines from Chile. DO YOU remember 1989? It was the year that Margaret Thatcher road tested her “poll tax” in Scotland. It was the year that David Hasselhoff single-handedly brought down the Berlin Wall. And it was the year…
Read MoreDo wine glass shapes affect taste?
Peter Ranscombe sticks his snout into various shapes of glasses to see if they affect the smell and the taste of popular wines. IT’S the second-most common question I get asked – right after “How do you keep you hair so soft and bouncy?” “Does the shape of the glass affect the taste of the…
Read MoreWhat does wine taste like in a cardboard bottle?
Peter Ranscombe puts a wine that comes in innovative packaging through its paces. BACK in June, Scottish wine merchant Woodwinters revealed it would be stocking an Italian wine – in a cardboard bottle. Packaging maker Frugalpac has come up with a container made from 94% recycled cardboard, with the liner inside accounting for the remaining…
Read MorePaul Wedgwood proves prosecco’s pairing prowess
Two online tastings prompt Peter Ranscombe to muse on how well Italian sparkling wine can match to food. THINK prosecco, think aperitif – whether it’s a dinner party or a gallery opening or a glass to kick-off a night out, Italy’s all-conquering bubbles are a popular choice. Yet two online gatherings in recent weeks have…
Read MoreFour of the best wines for game
Peter Ranscombe catches up with Glasgow wine merchant Séverine Sloboda for some recommendations to go with game. SCOTLAND’S open seasons on game birds are in full swing, from ducks and geese through to grouse and partridge. Chefs have been coming up with a host of exciting recipes, from Mac & Wild’s British Game Alliance grouse…
Read MoreWhy buying wine can also mean planting trees
A new project that links buying wine to planting trees has got Peter Ranscombe pondering the environment. IT’S not every day that you open a box of wine and find a tree poking out. Let me explain – the tree in question was a crab apple sappling. And it was sent as possibly the weirdest…
Read MoreA very special whisky – from The Wine Society
Peter Ranscombe tastes the first whisky from the society’s reserve cask selection. WITH a name like “The Wine Society”, it may not be the first place you’d think to look for a bottle of Scotch. But the society – or “The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society” to use its Sunday name – has form when…
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