Posts Tagged ‘nose’
Keeping California affordable
Wines from California can be expensive by the time they reach the UK, but there are still plenty of bargains to be found, as Peter Ranscombe discovers THERE’S no arguing with the quality of the wine being produced in California – some of the pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay I tried during a recent visit was…
Read MoreBringing a taste of Napa Valley to the UK
VISITING California with the Wine Institute – to learn more about its sense of place, environmental programmes and diversity of styles – demonstrated the sheer variety of quality wines produced in the Golden State. Yet much of the tastiest wine never leaves the United States – or even, in some cases, California. That’s why it…
Read MoreUnfamiliar wines in familiar places
PETER RANSCOMBE MENTION the word “Sancerre” and most wine drinkers will immediately think of a dry white wine, then slip the name “Beaujolais” into conversation and they’ll picture a light and fruity red. We’re all guilty of it – we taste a wine we enjoy from a specific region and it becomes fixed in our mind,…
Read MoreAlternatives to Chablis
PETER RANSCOMBE CHABLIS will always hold a special place in my heart. As a red drinker, it was the white that opened the door for me to a whole world of elegant and exciting wines, eventually leading to delights such as riesling and gruner veltliner. That’s why last year’s news sent a shiver down my spine…
Read MoreCalifornia Part 1: Finding a sense of place
PETER RANSCOMBE OAK can be a double-edged wooden sword in winemaking. At its best, it can impart aromas and flavours of vanilla and sweet spices like cinnamon and cloves, as well as bringing a rounded mouthfeel to a wine. At its worst, the oak can dominate, overpowering the primary fruit and leaving drinkers checking for tiny…
Read MoreCalifornia Part 3: Diversity in the winery and in the glass
PETER RANSCOMBE THINK you know Californian wines? Think again. They’re mostly white zinfandel or blush aren’t they, with some over-oaked and over-ripe chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons thrown in at the top end, right? Wrong. If California was a nation then it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer, behind Italy, France and Spain. That scale…
Read MoreCharles Hamilton Ltd launch The Isles
Charles Hamilton Ltd has announced the addition of ‘The Isles’ edition to its regional malt and grain whisky range. The new Isles release extends the Speyside, Highland, Islay and Lowland regional spread. Each region is presented in its own distinctive colour scheme. The Isles version is distinguished by its striking ‘coral tinted’ cylindrical carton and…
Read MoreDog Days!
We are really enjoying all the pictures of your dogs that your are posting into the gallery, so much so that we have set up a ‘Dedicated Dog Spot’. Post your favourite photograph of your dog and we’ll build a gallery of them. To start the ball rolling here’s a picture of Fergus my fab…
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