James Wine & Spirits
How does an online wine tasting work?
Peter Ranscombe joins Diana Thompson for her first Wine Events Scotland online tasting to learn how the format works – and tastes some great-value Chilean bottles along the way. I WISH I’d bought shares in Zoom. The video-conferencing app has become almost as ubiquitous during the covid19 lockdown as Jason Leitch, the Scottish Government’s national…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – MAY 2020 – WHITE FISH
Scottish Field wine columnist and drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe catches five bottles to go swimmingly with white fish. WHITE fish was the star ingredient in May’s issue of Scottish Field magazine and this selection of wines should ride a delicious wave alongside the main attraction. Lago Cerqueira Alvarinho 2019 Aldi £6.49 Cross the Spanish border…
Read MoreSocial distancing? Brush up on your whisky knowledge
Peter Ranscombe goes back to school to put the online ‘focus on flavour’ module from Edinburgh Whisky Academy through its paces. REGULAR readers will know that my geekiness knows few bounds when it comes to wines and whiskies. I even put myself through the diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the equivalent…
Read MoreConquering covid-19: these Scottish bottle shops still deliver
In a special article that he’ll update, Peter Ranscombe reports on which independent Scottish wine merchants can still deliver despite the coronavirus outbreak. LIFE in Scotland changed dramatically last week, with thousands of people told to isolate themselves and millions more instructed to keep their distance from everyone else in order to save lives and…
Read MoreSelf isolating? One-hour wine delivery tested
Peter Ranscombe puts Drinkly’s one-hour ordering service through its paces by picking six of his favourite wines from Edinburgh’s Vino chain. WHAT a week it’s been – from BoJo standing up on Monday to tell us not to go to pubs, restaurants or theatres through to the school gates closing this evening with little hope…
Read MoreMake Mother’s day sparkle with these last-minute mail order muses
Peter Ranscombe keeps it local with fizzy wines from south of the border as special treats for special Mums. MANY of us may no longer be able to visit our Mums this weekend thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, but that doesn’t mean we can’t add a little sparkle to Mothering Sunday, courtesy of these fizzy…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – APRIL 2020 – CHOCOLATE
He may not have a whiskered nose or a powder-puff tail, but Peter Ranscombe has sweet and savoury wines to pair with chocolate dishes for Easter. LET me start with a confession – I love chocolate. Whether it’s dark, milk or white, I just can’t get enough of the stuff. Unless you’re going to slip…
Read MoreWhat does 150-year-old wine taste like?
Peter Ranscombe travels back through vinous time to try a pair of wines from the Victorian era. “IT’S not every day that you get to try two 150-year-old wines side-by-side,” quipped James Davy, as he poured the sixth and final drink at a very special masterclass to mark the century and a half that his…
Read MoreThese pancake pairings are flippin’ marvellous
Whether you’re serving savoury or sweet fillings, renowned tosser Peter Ranscombe has donned his pinnie to pair pancakes to wines. PREPARE for an #earworm to be stuck in your head – because it’s pancake day, it’s pancake day, it’s p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pancake day. And, as Sir Tony Robinson and Danny John-Jules taught us, it’s time to grab…
Read MoreYour last-minute Valentine’s day wine guide
Panicking over which bottle to pick for your beloved? Peter Ranscombe and his Cupid-shaped corkscrew have the answers. WHETHER you’re staying in for a bit of “Netflix and chill” or “going out-out” for Valentine’s day, Galentine’s day even Palentine’s day then here’s a quick survival guide for the 24 hours that lie ahead… I want…
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