James Wine & Spirits
Haud yer Wheesht: listen tae low-alcohol lockdown libations
Wanting to cut down on your alcohol intake during the lockdown and beyond? Peter Ranscombe has some suggestions. I DON’T know if it’s just my imagination or if it’s a guilty conscience, but my blue glass recycling box sounds like it’s been clinking just that wee bit more during lockdown. If the number of memes…
Read MoreArmchair exploring: Supporting South African wines
As South Africa lifts its ban on wine exports – again – Peter Ranscombe picks bottles to kick-start some armchair exploring. FEW countries have had such an intense rollercoaster ride through the lockdown as South Africa. First wine exports were banned. Then they were allowed again. Then they were banned again. Last week’s news that exports…
Read MoreSauvignon blanc: New Zealand and beyond
To mark international sauvignon blanc day, Peter Ranscombe goes on a mission to find exciting examples from New Zealand and beyond. FEW grapes split that audience like sauvignon blanc. For some, it’s the very epitome of freshness, with crisp acidity balanced by either savoury asparagus or tropical guava. For others, it’s over acidic, over hyped, and…
Read MoreSay ‘G’Day!’ to Yalumba’s viognier
It may hail from the Rhone, but viognier has found a new home in Australia, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. LOUISA Rose takes her viognier very seriously – so much so, that she’s even designed her own glass for the white grape variety. The shape of that vessel gives some clues as to how Yalumba’s head winemaker…
Read MoreJames Hocking: Spreading some Cali sunshine during lockdown
Wine merchant James Hocking is bringing a splash of Cali sunshine and Cali wine into self isolation, writes Peter Ranscombe. WINE drinkers may be pining for their favourite bars and restaurants, but the lockdown has brought one major benefit for oenophiles – wholesalers are selling some of their top-notch bottles directly to consumers. Alexander Wines’ new…
Read MoreThis is not just wine… this is a first look at M&S’s £5 range
Peter Ranscombe relives his youth as he dips into Marks & Spencer’s latest releases. DERVLA Kirwan has a lot to answer for. Whether it was putting the “kiss” into Balykissangel on BBC One or making the Noughties truly naughty with her sultry voiceovers for Marks & Spencer, the Irish actress’s dulcet tones enticed a generation.…
Read MoreMake mine a half: small bottles to avoid lockdown largess
Looking to lower your isolation libations? Peter Ranscombe picks half bottles to help. GOOD things come in small packages – or so the old adage goes. During the pandemic, those words of wisdom could well come into their own. Whether it’s to cope with home schooling or to relieve the boredom of furlough, it’s all…
Read MoreArmchair exploring: Returning to Romania with Cramele Recas
Restrictions on movement present an ideal opportunity for Peter Ranscombe to return to Romania’s native varieties and great-value wines. WHENEVER friends or acquaintances ask about the wine adventures on which I’ve been, one trip more than any other always piques their interest – Romania. So many people still have images of Anneka Rice’s 1990 visit…
Read MoreThe Eyre affair: Why there’s nothing plain about Jane’s wine
Peter Ranscombe joins specialist retailer Honest Grapes to see if a former Australian hairdresser’s French wines can ‘cut it’. EVERYONE has a story about an Australian traveller – whether it’s the backpacker who kipped on your couch for a month or that lost night drinking with the Bruces and the Sheilas who congregated at Walkabout…
Read MoreAn odyssey through Italy’s indigenous grapes – via Zoom
Falanghina, montepulciano and passerina all featured in the latest online tastings attended by drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe. FEW countries can boast as many varieties of grapes as Italy – the International Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV), the keeper of the geekiest of all statistics, lists 454 varietals as being grown from the Alps down to…
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