James Wine & Spirits
These Champagnes will enliven myriad cuisines
The distinctive freshness captured in Champagne Gosset’s wines provide pairings for a whole host of dishes, as Peter Ranscombe reports. CHAMPAGNE is a fascinating subject – even after you’ve stripped away all the branding and the marketing and the other ephemera that surrounds France’s flagship fizzy wine, there are still almost as many ways to…
Read MoreZonin indulges in some California dreamin’
Peter Ranscombe explores Zonin’s plans for expansion in California, Russia and Italy with prosecco prince Michele Zonin. PROSECCO producer Zonin may have deep roots in Italy stretching back nearly 200 years, but Michele Zonin had a distinctly international focus when I caught up with the company’s vice-president on Friday. Part of the seventh generation of…
Read MoreIt’s time for a Sea Change in wine’s environmental impact
Peter Ranscombe grabs his litter picker and pulls on his wellies to find out about the Scottish wine merchant that’s leading the charge with wines that cause less damage to the planet. I’VE taken part in wine tastings in some odd locations for Scottish Field over the years, from a tent in a muddy field…
Read MoreFive of the best from Domaine des Tourelles
Peter Ranscombe picks his favourite bottles from a Lebanese winery that traces its roots back to 1868. HAVING grown up in the 1980s, it’s hard not to think of Lebanon without remembering the country’s long-running civil war. From the kidnapping of Brian Keenan, John McCarthy and Terry Waite through to “Beirut” becoming a byword for…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – MARCH 2019 – PHEASANT
Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe selects five wines to go with pheasant, this month’s star ingredient. WITH its bright red wattle and distinctive cockerel-like call, the pheasant is a familiar sight throughout Scotland, waddling across farmers’ fields, woodland edges and roadside verges. Believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans – and certainly common…
Read MoreFermenting ideas for #FurmintFebruary19
Peter Ranscombe explores the wide variety of styles that can be made from Hungary’s flagship furmint grape. MENTION Hungary and wine fans are likely to think of one of two things – depending on their age. Younger winos are most likely to associate the Central European country with sweet wines from the Tokaj region, while…
Read MoreNOTEBOOK – JANUARY 2019 – BURNS’ NIGHT SPECIAL
With The Bard’s birthday just around the corner, Peter Ranscombe raids his notebook to recommend some very special whiskies from recent tastings. WHISPER it, but you don’t need haggis to enjoy Burns’ night. Raising a dram in memory of Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national bard, is an equally-fitting tribute to the poet who gave us the…
Read MoreProsecco & pals: which bubbles popped Scottish Field’s cork?
In between curling his hair and rouging his cheeks, Peter Ranscombe leads his Scottish Field colleagues in a pre-night out prosecco tasting. FEW sparkling wines have captured the imagination of the public like prosecco. Whether it’s drinks in a wine bar after work or getting ready at a friend’s house for a big night out,…
Read MoreGood things come in small packages
Peter Ranscombe explores Cask 88’s new quarter cask series of whiskies finished in tiny barrels. WANDER around enough distillery warehouses and the different sizes of wooden vessels used to age whisky will start to become familiar, from the standard 200-litre bourbon barrels through to the 250-litre hogsheads or “hoggies” and the giant 500-litre sherry butts.…
Read MoreWINE TO DINE – FEBRUARY 2019 – SPINACH
Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe selects five wines to go with spinach dishes. AFTER a hard day of battling Bluto and tooting on his pipe, which wine would Popeye select to woo Olive Oyl and pair with his beloved spinach? With its earthy, iron-rich flavour, spinach can be highly versatile in dishes, which opens up a…
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