26th June 2023

Domaine Ogier’s modern, purpose-built winery in Côte Rôtie creates exceptional wines - read missive

14th June 2023

The alliance of 1373 seemed like an opportunity to taste a few English wines alongside some Portuguese wines - read missive

2nd June 2023

New hotel just south of Le Marias, new restaurant miles from anywhere, and re-visiting a landmark brasserie made for an exceptional weekend - read missive

25th May 2023

Behind the green, unobtrusive facade, in a street festooned with watering holes, sits a culinary delight - read missive

18th May 2023

‘Wow! I was not expecting that!’, is often the first reaction on tasting an 'En Rama' sherry. Usually from someone who would not include sherry in their drinking repertoire - read missive

14th May 2023

Nine wines were assembled for the annual rosé tasting - read missive

4th May 2023

If you find yourself heading for lunch over this coming weekend, a tad short on time and lacking the ’luxury gift’, then here are two magnums that never fail to please - read missive

2nd May 2023

Spring, having popped out of hibernation, still seems a tad reticent and this morning feels as if it has decided to head back under the duvet for another week. For a warming dish to combat these cold days, then cauliflower cheese meets the brief - read missive

29th April 2023

As the weather continues to be somewhat disappointing, then here are three robust wines that would suit the current outside temperatures. - read missive

27th April 2023

With the Coronation firmly on the horizon, what would be better than enjoying a few magnums to accompany lunch after the event - read missive

24th April 2023

This delightfully charming book maps out a history of his family’s involvement in Bordeaux and provides an interesting assessment of the regions up and downs over the last couple of centuries - read missive

6th April 2023

If you are planning a roast over this weekend - be it lamb, beef, or chicken - then a young, vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile might just hit the brief - read missive

3rd April 2023

If the weather is set fair for this Easter weekend, and there is the opportunity to enjoy the year’s first glass outside at some point, then what could be better than a glass or two of a delicious sparkling rosé - read missive

31st March 2023

Following on from my earlier missive regarding the marriage of roast spring lamb and Cabernet Sauvignon over Easter, results from a vertical tasting of Domaine de Chevalier - read missive

20th March 2023

Does this very unassuming restaurant frontage in Soho’s Lexington Street house England’s best-value wine list? Almost certainly! - read missive

6th March 2023

With Easter just around the corner, I thought it might be worth looking at the perfect pairing of Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot blends that should accompany the ‘go-to’ dish of roast spring lamb over the long weekend in early April. - read missive

19th February 2023

The prompt for this missive, to find a perfect wine to accompany shellfish, came from two old friends who had been taking a holiday in South Africa around a year ago - read missive

9th February 2023

Tuscany contains a wealth of red wine options. From the humble entry-level Chianti to the exquisite Super-Tuscans, there is no shortage of explorations. However, perhaps ‘under the radar’ are the reds, the Rossos, from the villages of Montalcino and Montepulciano - read missive

1st February 2023

As the curtain draws to a close on January, and those who have been avoiding vinous delights look longingly towards lifting their corkscrew once again, then I thought it was time to consider a few seasonal options - read missive

20th December 2022

Ahead of the ensuing hubbub that will engulf most households over the coming week, it might be wise to put aside a few quiet moments when one can savour a good book and a strong, warming spirit to revive the senses - read missive

9th December 2022

There is nothing more synonymous in the world of food and wine than the marrying of port and cheese. Tawny Port makes a very desirable partnering option - read missive

14th December 2022

Two wines that will perfectly match the finest and richest of seasonal delights - read missive

5th December 2022

Carrying on from the notes on the 2022 vintage in France, a few facts and figures from the UK's wine production industry - read missive

20th November 2022

Puttanesca Sauce. Perhaps invented in Naples in mid-20th century, there are recipes for similar sauces dating back to 1844. According to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers, it became popular in the 1960s - read missive

28th November 2022

If you go directly north from Plymouth, and directly east from Port Issac, you will find a rather remarkable hotel alongside the banks of the River Tamar: Endsleigh - read missive

17th November 2022

Following on from my summary of the 2022 Vintage in Bordeaux, here are a few notes on this year's harvest in Champagne, Burgundy and Rhône - read missive

13th November 2022

With wild mushrooms in season, what better way to present an array of these wondrously tempting autumn treats than within a risotto, garnished with finely chopped parsley, crumbling parmesan, and partnered with New World Chardonnays - read missive

6th November 2022

The extreme temperatures and drought seen this summer had a strong influence on the wines produced across Europe. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting to pen a few missives on the likely impact this will have on the wines from a number of regions. Firstly, this summary on Bordeaux - read missive

20th October 2022

Mouthwatering aromas are released when sea bass is married with ginger, red chillis, spring onions, lemon grass, garlic and soy sauce - read missive

29th October 2022

Acquainting yourself with a favourite jumper that has just emerged from the chest of draws during the summer hibernation, there is a comparable warming element in these wines - read missive

15th October 2022

Autumn has definitely arrived. The trees in Hampshire seem to be taking their time changing colour, but the combination of chilly mornings, moisture laden cobwebs hanging off trees and bushes, earthy aromas of mushrooms hanging in the air when walking, definitely support the shortening days - read missive

29th September 2022

If you were eating Dover Sole at Wiltons or Scott’s thirty plus years ago, then Muscadet would almost certainly have been the white wine of choice - read missive

23rd August 2022

The picture postcard perfection of Carcassonne’s medieval citadel, designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an image of life in South West France that we have all seen - read missive

30th August 2022

Chardonnay probably provides a winemaker with the broadest possible palette in terms of the wine that can be made from this vine - read missive

20th August 2022

A few months ago I was extolling how Sebastien Magnien’s Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Clos de la Perrière, 2019 was probably the best value Red Burgundy I had tasted in some time - read missive

13th August 2022

Gracefully meandering at the pace of a snail would probably best describe the flow of the River Loire this summer given the heatwave experienced across most of Northern Europe - read missive